Crazy little something
by toasted bun
Summary: In which Elsa freaks out when she wakes up and is not alone... does that sound like some horror thing? Sorry. 'Tis not, really.
1. O1

_chapter O1_

* * *

It was bliss. The house was quiet aside from some boxes and cases being dropped by the clumsy man probably late for his work. She could picture him trying to get his stuff together while the toasts – _yeah, that's burnt toast's (terrible) smell for sure_ – were practically on fire on the kitchen. _He always does that._ But it wasn't like she was going to get up and check if he was okay. This has been their daily routine since… Anyway, sleeping was better. Always is. She appreciated her favorite comforter covering her slim body except from her toes, soft pillow under her head, platinum blonde bangs protecting her delicate eyes from sunlight trying to creep inside her dome. Perfect setting to wander in dreamland a bit more.

"_I'm out, Els!"_, yelled the male person.

The girl softly grunted.

"_Don't forget to get up, eat – live a little!"_

She grunted again.

"_There are some toasts in the microwave for you and your bed buddy! Call you later!"_

She grunted louder to show she was bidding goodbye as well. Within seconds, though, the man's words sunk in and she promptly had her eyes wide open when she felt something touching her right arm.

Slow but steady she moved her head on the pillow, turning it around to face whoever was so close to her in _her_ mattress.

Never she thought she would be welcomed by two perky nipples surrounded by fiery dusted, sun kissed skin. Strawberry blonde mane was covering her right shoulder and tickling her nose. It would've been a funny situation if the blonde actually ever allowed or even _knew_ the someone sleeping in her bed!

No doubt the scream that followed gave the landlord plenty of complaint calls.

_-x-_

_All right. What the heck has happened last night!_

Burying her face in her hands, Elsa was sitting on one of the kitchen stools, body as rigid as a rock hidden in her impeccably straight posture.

"_Woah, there. Easy, easy…", the redhead rubbed the sore top of her head. Well, as sore as a pillow attack could accomplish._

"_Easy!? Who are you and what are you doing in my house – in my bed?", Elsa squealed the last bit as she threw the comforter at the petit naked body in front of her._

_The mysterious girl frowned at her question, holding an index finger up to show she was closing her squinted eyes to think about it. But instead of words, saliva came out of her mouth._

"_Ew!", the blonde said and threw another pillow at the sleepy person. This attack managing to get her on cold hard ground, "Wake the heck up and get out!"_

Elsa would never imagine, however, that her unwanted guest would assume the "get out" was "get out of my room" instead of "get out of my house", so she almost screamed again a few hours later when she decided it was time to get up and found a redhead spread on the couch wearing what the blonde assumed being the boxers and t-shirt her roommate usually leaves around when he wakes up in a hurry.

The said intruder stated – after a cushion landing on her nape – she would apologize by cooking brunch and is now dancing around the kitchen island as she grabs stuff from the shelves and chops ingredients Elsa would never visualize together in the same meal.

"Uh…", the blonde woman cleared her throat. She was willing to start a conversation but couldn't even remember the other's name.

"Anna!", the lively girl answered, still paying attention to whatever she was cooking.

_Lively girl… too lively._

Fear lurked beneath her cold demeanor.

"Anna. How old are you, Anna?"

The cook girl giggled, "Does it matter?"

"It does if y- you're a minor."

Anna finally turned around.

"Oh my gosh", she shook her still not hair-tamed head violently, "I was drinking last night so, nope, not a minor", Elsa's shoulders relaxed as she heard the negative answer and Anna gave her a crooked smile as if she was saying 'been there, dude'.

"And, uh, about last night…"

Her words trailed off as Anna spun on her heels with two plates at hand.

"Let's fill our bellies before talking, eh?"

Elsa couldn't figure what the green-ish thing inside the dough roll was but that thing tasted incredibly… delicious, she might admit. She could see Anna truly put her heart into it. They were halfway done when the cook decided to speak.

"This is an apology brunch and also a 'thank you' brunch", she offered another crooked smile, a chubby cheek full of eggs and bacon, when Elsa looked at her but stayed quiet.

"I mean… for letting me in, you know", she continued.

"What exactly happened last night?"

Elsa prayed to all Gods that nothing serious happened the previous night after she blurted the question.

_She was naked and that should be a very good indication something has indeed happened but I was in my pajamas and this is really importan-_

She noticed Anna's face was blank.

"You don't remember?"

_Dang it. _

So something's happened. Of course it has. "You don't remember?" is the heart-broken line of every girl who was used as a sex toy in all novels Elsa read. Sadly, the blonde was in the worst role she could ever imagine herself. Her mind tried to conjure a good enough excuse to prevent the poor girl's crying outburst she was sure that was coming as she watched those thin lips being pursed.

Suddenly, an almighty cackle-like laughter almost knocked her down.

"I went to my fav pub and met this guy. We had a great time but I wasn't into _it –_ you know, 'it' - not last night, so I asked for some booze, like, two or five, and I remember someone yelling at me that I should stop crying and rubbing my runny nose on the pub's counter – hey, don't frown. We all have a runny nose when we cry. Anyways, I got out as asked, being the polite lady I am and somehow I ended up here instead of my buddy's place and woah, this is a helluva building. No idea how I thought this could be my buddy's place because Look. At. This! No kidding, who the fuck you guys killed to live here!? And then, yeah, I kept knocking at your door and I found the bell and it has a nice sound so I kept ringing and you opened the door- "

"Wait. I did _what?"_

"You opened the door. You did it and I fell on the hall carpet since you, young lady, did _not_ catch me as I performed my damsel in distress fall like I always do with my buddy but oh well, you were not my buddy! So I forgave you. No hurt feelings. As I got in-"

Elsa tilted her head, brows knitted together.

"_I_ opened the door?"

"Yeah. As I got in, after the fall, I mean, you just-"

"Hang on. You mean to tell me I let you, a stranger, come in?"

"Yes. Pay attention. Thing is you let me in and went to your room so I thought it was an invitation since all doors were closed!"

The tall young woman stared at Anna for a while and she let her do so since she knew she often vomits a shitload of things in a matter of seconds. After a minute – which seemed like an eternity to the redhead – Elsa chuckled behind her delicate hand and spoke.

"I can't believe I let you in. I really should pay attention to my sleepwalking habits."

Anna's brows arched in a cute way, "You sleepwalk! Awesome!"

"If you think so.", Elsa nodded, "But this whole _ordeal_ does not justify you naked in my bed."

"Sleep time, so clothes off!"

"Simple as that?"

"Yeah!"

"Even though you were in someone else's place? Even if you managed to end up at your 'buddy's place."

"Yeah!"

They looked at each other in silent.

"You are weird."

Elsa assumed Anna didn't take it as an offense by the glint in the girl's egg robin blue eyes as she snorted, taken the blonde aback again.

"You liked my food?"

"Yes. Quite.", Elsa stood up to take the dishes to the kitchen marble sink. She saw Anna moving around the kitchen island to stop her acts.

"No, no, no. I wash 'em. Don't worry."

"You did enough, Anna.", she said when a pair of hands held the plates and the empty cups. The young woman checked the clock on the wall and looked at the smaller woman again, "Besides, a maid will come here in a couple of hours so don't worry about it."

Elsa offered her a reassuring smile so Anna did as the blonde asked and went to sit on the fancy red couch in the TV – _is that a home theater, damn! –_ room.

"You can leave any time, you know."

Elsa noticed Anna didn't get the clue and added, "I will sleep again. Close the door when you leave."

"Okie dokie!", a thumb-up was the only visible thing as the girl already got herself lost among the cushions. The blonde prayed as soon as she woke up she would be alone.

* * *

_Thank you so much for reading! Wanna know what happens next? Reviews, PMs are all very much appreciated; lemme know what d'ya think (;_


	2. O2

_chapter O2_

* * *

Elsa was back at the kitchen island, waiting for some delicious food. She heard a goofy giggle along with the clank of a bowl against wood. The smell of pasta with melted provolone and black olives filled her nostrils, easing the glare she sent to the massive guy wearing a tiny lavender apron.

"_Marsh_."

"What!", he smiled after setting the last goblet on the wooden surface, "It is funny!"

"It's been _two weeks_."

The big man, Marsh, made his way to the cabinets. He holds a different bottle in each hand, asking Elsa which wine she would like to drink that evening. The girl mouths 'light red' and he smiles at the her, showing she picked the one he wanted to try. They were both young, recently graduated and being the nerds they were they never tried much alcohol during campus life. The woman still clearly remembers how hard it was to carry the troll of a man all the way up to their accommodation after he drank too much punch. Probably two cups.

Talking about drinking and drunk people, Anna had left the house some time in the afternoon weeks ago and had never bothered them with drunkard manners since.

"I know! But I can't believe you let someone in", he lets a ton of pasta and cheese fall on his plate and hands the bowl to the girl, "When I went to your room to check on you, I totally assumed you got laid."

"Oh Gods- Marshall!"

"Wouldn't _you_ think I got laid if you found a chick, a naked one, hugging my arm?"

For that Elsa had no comeback.

"I'm glad, you know," he continued, "that she wasn't a dangerous person. She treated you well, correct?"

"She did. She made us brunch, I told you", Elsa took a sip of her beverage, "This is quite good."

"It is, isn't it? I might add this one to our 'alcoholic stuff we bare without frowning' list", he winked and the conversation died as they ate the scrumptious pasta Marsh provided that night.

"Ooh!", Elsa, who was placing the utensils in the wooden cupboard, hummed to show she was paying attention. He continued, "Actually, I heard about a place these days and I was thinking."

"Oh?"

"Yes. One of my workmates told me this certain place is holding a competition. Many bartenders and what-nots are competing to see who has the best Summer drink recipe."

Elsa smiled, "Sounds good, Marsh."

Marsh smiled back, "What about next Sat?"

"Next Sat what? Wait. You want me to go?", he grinned, "You know I don't go out much, Marsh…"

"Hey, sweetheart."

Suddenly, two thick arms wrapped the girl around her fragile shoulders and a chin was placed on top of her fair locks.

"I know you're not into hanging out and stuff, but please - for me? I assure you no one we know will be there. And if someone shows up I'll make sure they vanish in a sec so we can be the wallflowers we love to be", he cuddled some more, "How does that sound?"

It took Elsa a few moments but she finally gave up, Marsh's hug being too comfy to refuse him anything.

-x-

Saturday.

Elsa deep breathed as she looked at her mirrored image one more time. A beige cardigan, nude Oxford shoes and dark gray pants were perfect to let her blend in and enjoy a chilly night with Marsh. She fixed her French braid one last time when she heard the man's voice getting closer.

"You done, Little One?"

She tried not to let her eyes get wide as soon as his image hit the mirror. Marsh was wearing a light blue suit, red bowtie and shoes.

_So discreet._ Elsa took a deep breath again and smiled at him as the silly man wore a random sunglass to show stealthy shit was up.

"I'm done."

-x-

The place wasn't the worst thing she's ever seen. Truth be told, it was quite welcoming. There were improvised plastic tables all over the place with many people behind, getting ready to make drinkable miracles happen. They all in bartender classic black &amp; white attires so everyone's eyes would be in the drinks, not them.

Marsh, being the kid he is, was already lost with all the possibilities, walking around as his tiny (well, at least when beside him) friend guided the two of them by his elbow.

They noticed the tables and chairs that should be all around the place probably were in the back of the pub so people could walk with no problem and enjoy the competition. The pair decided to start from the beginning. The three first mixtures were so strong they had to try really hard to avoid grimacing in front of the competitors. It wasn't that the beverages were terrible… well, they _were _terrible – terrible for Marsh and Elsa's taste. Marsh had to put his hands on the table to keep his balance.

"Holy shit", he whispered as they walked to the next couple of tables.

"Language."

"Ugh…"

The next proffered drink was happy to say the least. It has many shades of red and a cute umbrella hanging on the border. Marsh noticed Elsa liked the looks of it and let her try it first.

When her hand was almost reaching the cup, it disappeared.

"Fuck! That's a 10, dude!"

She heard the cheerful voice after a hard gulp finishing the whole beverage content.

She knew that voice.

She knew that "dude".

She knew that teenager-ish "oh my gosh" that came right after.

"Bumblebee!"

"…Hi, Anna."

* * *

_Hallo! I thought about updating this story every Wednesday only. The chapters are sorta short, though, so Weds and Sats will do for now since I hae 11 chapters done, 2 more outlined. Will you guys survive, I wonder. __I also wonder if I will remember to update it twice, lel... remind me, someone D:  
_

_Reviews, PMs... all hella much appreciated. I usually don't bite :) ciao!_


	3. O3

_chapter O3_

* * *

"...Hi, Anna."

Elsa was satisfied by the noise of people chatting around. It saved her from curious eyes as the redhead girl practically yelled that weird word.

"Bumblebee?", Marsh asked. He was standing right behind her.

Elsa tilted her head back to look at him, "Yes, the pollinator."

"Pollinator?", Marsh yelled just like Anna, "Els, Bumblebee's not an animal!"

A huge hand that looked more like a paw and a tiny hand in a fist hit each other in front of the blonde before she could correct her friend. Bumble bee was an animal for sure.

"Autobots!", they said in unison.

The quiet woman didn't know how that girl could do it. After the reunion of two Transformer nerds – _what's so special about the franchise anyway?_ – they spent a couple of hours enjoying some more drinks, Marsh and Anna being the ones who spoke the most while Elsa would nod and give a 'hm' as a good enough answer whenever one of them tried to bring her into the mindless conversation they were having.

It was past 1 a.m. when what it looked like the owner of the pub announced the winner. While most of the people there were cool with the man on top of the main counter winning the prize, some booed him – Anna being one of the not-satisfied crew; her hands went up to each side of her mouth as she uttered the most guttural sound of disapproval she could manage. Marsh seemed to notice she wasn't doing very good at it and decided to boo for her. Anna could swear the floor shook but that didn't do much to scare the sleepiness off of Elsa's face.

The sun would be up anytime soon. Elsa was heading to the bathroom when she heard muffled giggles at the TV room area. She peeked through the wall and spotted her friend and Anna moving their arms up and down, left and right as both smiled, trying not to make the neighbors call the landlord again. Elsa and Marsh were quiet neighbors but the sleepy blonde could feel Anna was trouble.

Both drink buddies have noticed the presence of The Queen (that's how they decided to call Elsa) so they pretended they were mindlessly talking to show everything was fine. As soon as they heard a door being closed and something hitting the bed Anna leaned forward on the wooden kitchen island to whisper again.

"So?"

"So what?"

"What's the deal with her?"

Marsh chuckled as he filled their cups with more grapefruit juice, "I'm not in position to tell you, Annie."

"Wha- Why!", she whined.

"Because it's Elsa's business", he sighed as Anna's huge pout appeared, "Let's say life's-", he double-checked The Queen wasn't around before proceeding, "Life's being a bitch to her and she decided to go inside a shell to feel safe again and I am the Shell Guardian."

Anna hummed in response and looked at nothing for a while, picturing Elsa with a seashell bra – lilac ones. Lilac might look good on her – and a baby blue mermaid tail. She was sure the blonde mermaid would sprint towards the huge shell insides she calls home whenever Anna scuba dives in the girl's surroundings. Such a shy mermaid. Or was Elsa a sea turtle? Since she's always with sleepy, hooded eyes… But turtles don't sleep in big shells, do they? Well, do mermaids? Anyways, Marsh would be a white whale. Colorful marshmallows coming out of his blowhole.

_Shit! Elsa totally is the pearl inside the shell!_

"Earth to Anna."

"Uh!"

"You spaced out pretty good, kid."

"Whoops. My bad."

Marsh shook his head to show he wasn't mad. "As I was saying, I'm the Shell Guardian. And I feel like you can stick around."

"Y- You serious?"

"Dead serious", he took a sip of his juice, "Mind you, she told me you made brunch that day, weeks ago. You treated her well. You seem to have a kind heart."

"Aw, Marshmallow…"

"What's up with this nickname!", he couldn't hold the surprised deep laughter that came out.

"You're a big softie!", she squealed and tackle hugged him. Said tackle hug didn't do much due to Marsh being way larger than the freckled young woman.

"Alright, alright", he caresses her hair that was up in a messy bun tonight, "Just don't hurt Els or I'mma hunt you 'till you run off a cliff. Two hundred foot drop at least."

-x-

"Don't you have your own house?"

Anna opened her eyes as a stern voice woke her up with such difficult question to be handled right after getting off her slumber. She was hugging a yellow cushion, with another one between her knees.

Elsa was glad the girl at least kept her underwear on this time.

"Kinda?"

"_Kinda?_", she grunted, "Why are you here?"

"Marshmallow lemme sleep on the couch."

"Marshma… I see you're quite friends now. Great."

"We're drink buddies!", she beamed.

The sleepy blonde frowned as she felt her world being turned upside down by this weird stranger who kept bothering her peaceful and _quiet_ time alone while Marsh was out working or sleeping. And what was last night? She planned on having some quality time with her friend. She finally gathered courage to go outside - for what? To be interrupted by this girl's annoying and loud behavior.

"Get out."

Anna lifted her head from the cushions.

"Get out", Elsa repeated, her arms wrapping the blonde's slim waist.

"Oh, hm, okay. Let's just, you know, if I may-"

"No, you may not. And I- I think you shouldn't come here anymore."

The girl was sitting now, taming her hair in braided pigtails. Elsa stood behind the kitchen counter, hands clasped tightly in front of her. Anna took a few minutes to get her hair done and her small figure inside a pair of denim worn jeans and plaid shirt – which was too big to be hers. _Is Marsh lending her clothes?_ _Because the boxers she's wearing are Marsh's for sure. Wait, Elsa where are you looking at-_

"I'm leaving, then… You take care, alright?"

"There is no need to worry about me."

Elsa noticed Anna flinched at the words that came out harsher than she's planned. The smaller girl jumped out of the couch, sending Elsa a smile that could only be described as _fake_.

"…Okay, bye."

The door closed. That was it. The annoying girl was gone. Her life could be monotonous again.

-x-

Elsa wore her silky robe after taking a one hour long nap with the TV on. Being 2 p.m. the woman concluded it was time to cook a proper meal.

When she reached the cupboard she found some food cans and boxes she never bought. An envelope lied beside, a tip of it under the bean can so it wouldn't fly away.

_Els,_

_Here some cash for groceries._

_M._

This first bit has an **OKIE!** written in a cursive, messy handwriting on top of it. The messy writing was present on the rest of the paper.

_Bought sum stuff! _

_Change's inside the envelope. What does Elsa like to eat so I can cook? _

_Wait, you're not gonna answer it. _

_Dumb me._

_P.S.: MARSHMALLOW GIMME YOUR PHONE NUMBAH WHEN U GET HOME!_

The girl caught herself chuckling against the palm of her hand as she placed the small letter inside the envelop again. Anna really left the change money there. Anna thought about what to cook this time so Elsa could enjoy some nice meal just like the other day…

Elsa sighed and walked out of the kitchen, picking the house keys in the process.

The redhead was sitting on the floor, legs crossed Indian style, probably playing some crappy game on her smartphone. She looked up and showed all her white teeth in a bright smile.

Elsa sighed again.

"Come in."

* * *

_As long as I keep my eyes open, it still is Wednesday._


	4. O4

_chapter O4  
_

* * *

That was the third day in a row that Anna spent sleeping in Elsa and Marsh's place. Both didn't seem to be sure if Anna truly has her own place or not. She never mentioned again that "buddy" person she was planning to go to in the first place, weeks ago. Marsh didn't mind it but that has been bothering Elsa since the first time she landed her eyes on those pink—

"Nip!"

The voice startled Elsa beyond reason.

"Woah", Anna giggled as she spotted a blush spreading on pale skin; sly grin forming on her rosy lips, "What were you thinking, hm?"

"What, what did you just say?"

"I said 'nip', like, take a sip", she held her cup close to Elsa's mouth "It's hot today."

Elsa was hesitant but ended up leaning her head down, lips wrapping the edge of the cup, letting the cool liquid refresh her. She learned Anna wasn't the type who gives up easily.

"Fruity. I can't even taste the alcohol in it."

"Of course you can't. There is no alcohol!", she looked at Elsa frowning again, "What? You think I only drink alcohol? That's mean!"

"I'm sorry for assuming."

"Nah, it's fine. Mean, but fine. I know our first encounter wasn't very sober – for the two of us."

They shared a quick laugh and kept chopping and stuffing things inside the fish they're working on.

A buzzing sound caught Elsa's attention even while Anna's singing a song she doesn't know. The blonde looked over her shoulder and found Anna's black smartphone about to fall off the kitchen island.

"Anna, your phone", Elsa said. She bets it's the same person who's been calling Anna since they had finished lunch and decided they should cook something for Marsh. The girl washed her hands and jigged her way to the counter.

"What up, dog!", she yelled as she brought the phone to her ear, "Yeah, sorry… Hm, cool… Thanks, but no thanks. I'm busy tonight…", she snorted, "Not _that_ busy – I'm just busy! Have fun, y'all. Bye."

She turned around and ran to catch up with her fish since Elsa was already placing hers on the recipient they would put in the oven. Chancing a glance, Anna saw her cook partner biting her scarlet lower lip. Elsa looked at her as if she felt a fiery eyebrow had been lifted.

"Something's bothering you."

The color of that lip vanished as the girl bit it harder.

"Your friends called you the whole afternoon… I can finish the fish on my own just fine. You can go and have fun."

Anna shook her head violently as they walked to the oven, almost dropping her fish.

"I'm having fun here!"

"Anna…"

"Don't _Anna_ me, Elsa", she handed her fish to the taller girl and watched her take care of it in the big oven, "I like you."

"Say what?"

"I said I like you", she repeated again, slowly. Anna fought back and kept talking instead of getting lost in the ocean inside the blonde's eyes, "I meant it when I told my friend I couldn't hang out tonight. I'm not using you as an excuse or whatever."

"You mean you like spending time here _with_ me?", the girl nodded, "You're okay with me being this somewhat arrogant and very sleepy individual?"

"I wouldn't use fancy words as 'somewhat' or 'individual' but yeah, I do and I'm okay with you being you."

A deep crimson red flush began to dominate the other girl's face as she lowered her head. Anna decided to change the subject to spare the poor soul.

"But anyway, that's all I've got to say. Does Marshmallow come home late?"

"Yes", Elsa answered after clearing her throat and putting some distance between them – Anna didn't miss it. "Actually, I'm quite sure I opened the door for you that night because I thought Marsh might've forgotten his keys, as always."

"Wooh! So Marshmallow's the responsible for our union!"

"No one is united with no one here."

"Aw, c'mon, Els. We were just opening our hearts to each other seconds ago!"

"No, we were not. And don't call me Els. Marsh calls me that only."

"Elsie, then?"

"It's Elsa. And pay attention to the timer."

-x-

"This fish is delicious!", Marsh managed to say with his mouth full of food, to Elsa's dismay.

"It's all Elsa's doing", Anna said. They were sitting on the floor, around a rectangular glass table the girl didn't know exists on the apartment's modern balcony.

_I didn't even know there's a fucking balcony in the first place!_ Even though the place wasn't big, there was enough space to fit an exotic daybed Anna would never be able to picture Marshmallow in and the said glass table on wooden floor, all surrounded by a rusty looking fence that allows anyone to appreciate the green exterior environment of the complex they live in.

"Don't sell yourself short, Anna", Elsa said, almost done with her tiny portion of fish, "If it wasn't for you, I would've used sugar instead of salt and this late dinner would be ruined. Good thing you bought orange, too."

Marsh stopped chewing to watch the compliments exchange that was going on between his girls. They're friendly talking – _Elsa_'s speaking with no stuttering and what-nots.

_She's feeling comfortable._

"Marshmallow?", Anna stretched herself up to cup the big man's teary cheek, "You bit your tongue?"

Marsh noticed two pairs of concerned eyes on him.

"Yesh… My tongue."

"I told you to chew slowly. The fish's not going to run away."

The three friends laughed at Elsa's grumpy sense of humor.

-x-

"You guys up to some fun tomorrow?"

Marsh and Elsa stopped what they were doing at the sudden invitation. After the wonderful meal they moved to the kitchen. Anna placing the things in the cabinets and cupboard while Elsa hands the dirty utensils to Marsh who was in the middle of them, washing everything.

Of course a big excited smile found its way up on the man's face.

Of course Elsa's forehead was already wrinkled.

"I'm in!", he said.

"I'm out."

All of them stopped talking.

"Elsa, I know you don't like going out, but I promise…", the blonde held a hand up to silence her.

"No, Anna. You don't understand. I have an important thing to do tomorrow."

Marsh was still quiet, now thinking about whatever schedule Elsa has that he wasn't aware of. He quickly clasped his hands together, almost breaking his neck when he looked at his friend.

"Tomorrow's Thursday!", Elsa nodded, glad he finally got it. He looked at Anna, "Sorry, kid! Els really can't go. Am I enough to entertain you, though?"

The redhead pondered pouting but smiled instead.

"More than enough, big guy."

-x-

Thursday night came. Anna slept somewhere else after last night's dinner and came back at 7 to hang out with Marsh. The guy was really excited to know Anna's night life during his first day off in months. He even let his shirt unbuttoned, Elsa noticed.

The said blonde was catching up on some reading it's been ages she should've finished when the doorbell rang. She stood up, moving her hands over her polka dot dress shirt to get rid of any wrinkle, and walked in a fast pace towards the entrance. She wasted no time quickly turning the knob and opening the massive tobacco wooden door.

Flushed cheeks practically squished a pair of brown eyes when she smiled back and spoke.

"…Hey, love."

* * *

_Ooh. See you on Wednesday? _


	5. O5

_chapter O5_

* * *

Anna quickly climbed up the flights of stairs of the Corona Building with a card box in hands and an empty stomach bothering her. When she saw the broken red door, she speeded up and slightly kicked it open.

"I'm home!", she said in a manly, deep voice.

"This is not even your house!", a loud feminine voice screamed from another room.

The place was so cozy and tidy Anna couldn't resist but dive in the old pull out sofa bed, earning a creaky noise.

A petit honey blonde girl wearing a princess-like pink dress came in the living-slash-tv-slash-dinning-slash-bed-room threatening Anna's life with a frying pan.

"You break my couch again, ginger, and I'll kill you."

"Pfft! As if! You _love_ me!"

"I do, but it's my bed we're talking about", she carefully sat on the couch arm.

"Our bed, you mean."

"Well, it's yours when you feel like sleeping here. I barely see you nowadays."

"You needy?", Anna wiggled her eyebrows.

"You are a disgusting human being."

"But I bought pizza!"

They both _yay_'d, ending the conversation due to more important matters. Anna turned their tiny TV on while her incredibly long haired girl friend got some napkins to avoid any grease on the couch/bed.

"Where were you last night that you couldn't answer your phone?"

"Video gaming!", Anna answered in a happy tone between the bites, "Marshmallow bought a new RPG and we lost sense of time."

"Is Marshmallow the guy who spent the night here?"

The redhead nodded. She couldn't avoid snorting whenever she thinks about the first night she took Marshmallow to her favorite night place and he ended drinking too much. Afraid of Elsa's scolding, he begged her to take him somewhere else. That was when he met Rapunzel.

Tonight is Thursday again, the third one she and Marshmallow would have fun together if the guy's boss hadn't called him to cover a sick workmate in that night shift. The girl couldn't chill in his house because of whatever the fuck Elsa does on Thursdays that seemed top secret.

"You're frowning."

"Hm? Oh. Just thinking", Anna grabbed another piece of cheap pizza.

"Does it hurt _that_ bad thinking?", Rapunzel questioned, getting a glare in response, "Spit it out, ginger."

How could Anna tell Rapunzel about her terribly curious behavior? Elsa and she were becoming friends but the sleepy blonde insists on keeping the redhead at bay, not letting her know what's up, for instance, with these mysterious Thursdays.

"So you don't know how to approach her to know her better."

"What the fuck, Rapunzel. Did you just read my mind?", Anna covered her forehead.

"No, dumbass. You just thought out loud."

"Oh."

"So?", she crossed her arms, waiting for Anna to speak.

"Exactly... Elsa's a sweet girl. She can't possibly be doing anything wrong on Thursday nights. And Marsh keeps saying everything is 'Elsa's business' so I need to get to know her better to be rewarded by knowing her shit. But how can I do that if she builds a wall between us whenever something personal comes up?"

Rapunzel shook her head, amused.

"You're too impatient. How long have you known each other? One month tops?", Anna nodded, "And you told me she's a shut-in who sleeps all the time. She's not used to social interactions – or worse: _your _social interactions."

"Hey!"

"What I mean is that you can be intense, ginger. Give her time."

-x-

_CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLAN-_

"What the fuck, Rapunzel!", Anna growled shoving her head in the pillow she was sleeping on.

"Groceries Day, bitch! Get yo ass up!"

The ginger woman growled some more, rolling on the sofa bed. Rapunzel was walking around with only her underwear on, just like Anna.

"Why do I need to go? I never remember the list items or buy the wrong ones."

"Because of that, I'm taking pictures so you'll know what you need to pick", she grabbed a blue hoodie and walk to the bathroom, "I'm sending them all to you via WhatsApp. NOW GET UP!"

"ALL RIGHT DAMN IT!"

The girls were almost done with groceries shopping. The clumsy ginger did great at picking the right products this time and Rapunzel decided to spoil her with the biggest Hershey's bar the market sells.

"I bet we won't need to buy shit for a month!"

"I bet two months!", Rapunzel cheered.

"Are you serious about betting? Because I can totally win by eating plenty every time I go to your place so it will only last a month."

"I was _kidding._ I learned no one should bet against ya, ginger. You're an evil creature sometimes."

Anna started laughing like a maniac attracting attention of the people passing by.

"Anna, oh my fucking god, shut the-"

"Anna?"

The grown-up kids stopped groping each other as the sound of a gentle voice hit their ears.

"Elsa!"

Rapunzel poked Anna's sides so she wouldn't forget her presence. The redhead stood aside and introduced the girls to each other. The pair tried to start a conversation with the platinum blonde but she kept checking her watch or looking around.

"Uh, Anna, we should let Elsa finish her shopping", the small blonde tugged her friend's jacket.

"You're busy tonight, Elsa?", Anna asked.

"Y-Yes. You know I do some things on Thursdays."

"Some things, uh…", she pried. Rapunzel whispered 'let's go' but she ignored, "Want a ride back home?"

"Thank you, Anna. Marsh let me use his car and… as far as I know you don't own a car?"

"Yeah, Anna", Rapunzel finally spoke up, "None of us have a car. The hell?"

Anna snorted, "My bad! But we can wait and walk you to your car? I mean, if you're alone – no one's behind you so I assumed."

"Thank you again, Anna, but again, no. I am not alone. If you girls excuse me, I don't want to make my company wait too much."

As that, Elsa bid them goodnight and left to grab some more items. Rapunzel spitted in the palm of her hand and slapped Anna's nape. She slapped it _hard_.

"_Ouch!_"

"Don't. You know exactly the kind of bullshit you're putting between you two, prying like an idiot."

Anna didn't say a word. She knew she risked messing things up pretty good minutes ago because she was too weak to control the urge of knowing something being kept from her. She just nodded, rubbing her sore nape and followed the angry blonde to the cashier line.

* * *

_Stupid Anna, tsk tsk. But aren't y'all just as curious? Next chapter, more crew being introduced and Elsa hitting the floor! ...or just marble._


	6. O6

_chapter O6_

* * *

"Okay, let's assume she has a boyfriend."

Rapunzel deep sigh could be heard in the kitchen even though the door of the room she was in was closed.

"All right, Anna", she said as she finally found her make up bag, "Let's assume."

"What is the big deal with having a boyfriend? He's ugly, perhaps?", the girl shoved her hand in the popcorn scoop box, "Does she really think I would make fun of him or something?"

"Ever thought she might be dating a girl?"

The girl watching _kung fu_ movies got quiet for what it seemed to be some good five minutes.

"Ginger?", the blonde called.

"No way! I would've noticed or, or… or Marshmallow would've told me!"

"Why? Does he know you don't mind if it's sausage or oyster?"

"That's an awful analogy, Punzie."

"Whatever! Does he?"

"Nope."

"Then of course he wouldn't mention it to you."

Rapunzel was right. Marshmallow is a big softie and he respects Elsa's reserved attitude. Probably Elsa wasn't ready to come out of the closet.

"I'm a big idiot."

"You're finally right 'bout something!"

Anna ignored her friend's sassy comeback, "I wanna know if the dude – or girl. Whatever… I want to know if the person she likes is treating her properly", she stared at her lap, "Her eyes are too sad to be the ones of someone who's in love."

Rapunzel was out of the bathroom, make up ready, fancy dress on and smelling really good.

"Wow, who's the lucky guy?"

"If he's lucky enough you might meet him very soon", she planted a kiss on the freckled girl's forehead, "Don't think too much, ginger. Just let things flow."

-x-

Elsa closed the old book she's been reading as the rhythmic knock on her door reached her ears. That knocking pattern could be one person's only. The blonde offered a polite yet honest smile to her usual visitor who instead of coming in began to stare at her.

An hour ago Elsa got a text message in the chat app Marsh's installed on her old phone so they could talk more easily. Oddly enough, the text wasn't in Marsh's messages list. There was a new person trying to reach to her. Within seconds of talking she found out the last time her male friend slept out he was actually at one of Anna's friend's house and he ended up giving her number to everyone there so they'd be able to call her if anything happened to the large man. Gladly, nothing happened but it seems at least one of the persons there kept her number: Anna.

The auburn girl timidly asked if Elsa was free to talk, making the blonde worry – Anna wasn't one to feel down, so she promptly texted back saying she was doing nothing important. What she didn't expect, though, was Anna letting her know she should dress up because, as she said, they're going to rock hard until shit gets chimichangas.

The tall woman stood aside so Anna could come in but after a while she concluded the girl would just stand there, gawking at her, which made her self-conscious about her clothes. She decided to wear some color that night so she picked a purple satin button-up shirt Marsh gave to her on her last birthday, and black leggings with her favorite pair of ballet flats.

"The outfit does not please you?"

Anna looked at the worried blonde as that pale face of hers was tilted to the right.

"This, wow, this outfit makes me-", _Anna, shit, no sexual jokes. Elsa dates someone, she's shy, and you two are just becoming friends,_ "Uh, makes me glad that you're coming", she continued, "I mean I can see you gave some thought to my invitation… Thank you."

Elsa was happy with the girl's response and decided to ignore the fact Anna was looking anywhere but her.

"Let's go?", Anna blurted.

"Oh? I assumed you'd come in so we could call a cab. Or is the place near here?"

"Not very far, not very close", she giggled sheepishly, "But I will drive us tonight – erm, _ride,_ actually."

"Ride?"

"Yeah!", Anna smiled. She loves when Elsa gets curious about some aspect of her, just like the blonde does with Marshmallow, "I brought my bike!"

Elsa frowned.

"I hope you mean 'motorbike'."

-x-

Anna walked to the nearest light post while Elsa tried to get control over her shaking body. They didn't get there using a motorbike; for some unknown reason riding an old bicycle for twenty five minutes seemed like a good idea in Anna's reckless mind.

"I can't believe we did what we just did", the blonde woman stated.

"I know right!", yelled the other woman, currently crouched, chaining the bike's hand bars and tires, "It was awesome! Fast and Furious shit!"

"I thought we'd fall hard that time you lurched the bike."

"I had to! That puddle would've gotten your clothes all dirty and sticky", the redhead girl defended herself.

"As well as yours."

"Yours are fancy, Elsa", Anna got up and opened the pub's door, "And I invited you so I won't let anything bad happen."

The woman couldn't answer as a loud noise of people chatting and singing, laughing and drinking wrapped their ears. Behind the counter Anna was leading them to there was a fair skinned guy with light blond hair all over his forehead and nape. As he spotted the small redhead he grinned and held a bottle up.

"If it isn't my favorite person!", he announced. Many heads moved to see who the said favorite person was, causing Elsa to feel slightly uncomfortable. Why Anna was so loud even before opening her dirty mouth?

"Björn!"

The blond's face fell as she climbed up the marble counter to kiss his cheek. Elsa sat on the stool besides the cheerful girl's legs; platinum hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the oncoming of other customers, probably willing to greet Anna.

"It's _Bjorgman_. How many times do I have to tell you?", he sighed and looked down to find a pair of blue curious eyes. He smiled, "Who's the kitten?"

Elsa frowned, _kitten?_

"Oh, right. Pfft!", Anna slapped her own forehead, "This is Elsa! Elsa, this", she pointed at the tall boy in front of them, "is Kristoff. This one is Merida. Those are Maximus, Gothi, Sven, Bishop…"

The young woman named at least twenty customers before taking the two mojitos Kristoff Bjorgman offered on the house. As Elsa enjoyed her minty beverage she managed to identify three of the dozen people Anna introduced an hour ago. Merida was unforgettable with that wild fiery mane of hers, clear water blue eyes and Scottish accent. Bishop was the weird gray haired young man demanding people to take their gloves off. Now, if Bishop was weird, Elsa couldn't classify Anna's following friend Sven. He was the tan shirtless boy on top of one of the tables… wearing reindeer antlers and a dog collar.

A random girl called Anna to dance with her group and the young woman accepted the invitation after looking at Elsa, asking for permission. As soon as Anna disappeared on the human mess, the small man the blonde figured being Gothi sat close to her and engaged a conversation. Gothi was a nice small guy – too small, actually. Elsa wondered if he was old enough to be there but since no one looked like giving a damn, so wouldn't she.

With time other people tagged along, greeting the new comer. Elsa noticed telling them her name didn't matter much since all of them seemed to agree she was "kitten" now. They were really kind, funny even, so she rolled with it.

It took a couple of minutes but Anna managed to get out of the dance floor and return to the counter Elsa was resting her arms on.

"A penny for your thoughts", she sat beside her friend and continued, "Not that I have a penny but I want to know what you're thinking."

"Your friends are… remarkable". And that made her earn a heartfelt laugh from the now slightly sweaty woman.

"Come on! You can say they're weird. I won't judge."

Between chit-chats and laughter, Elsa couldn't believe they've spent two hours there already. As she became time conscious, her anxiety crept out. She felt like going home and Anna was away dancing once again with another group of friends. Looking at her left she spotted Gothi and a tall guy walking towards her with two girls practically hanging on his arms. The tall guy was strong as a horse.

Anna slowed down her dance moves as she listened to people laughing in the direction she left Elsa enjoying her club soda. Suddenly, between the laughter someone said her name twice to catch her attention.

"What!", she yelled back. Gothi was smiling at her.

"Guess it's kitten's bedtime!"

The girl excused herself by kissing the cheek of everyone around her and climbed the few steps that linked the dance floor and the tables' area. Elsa's head and back were being stroked by Gothi and his three friends just as one does to a cat. Her face was sleepily pressed against marble. Anna joined their giggles, telling them she could handle from there just fine.

"Thanks, guys!", she waved her hand as the group walked away.

When they finally got out of her sight, she looked down.

"The coast is clear."

Anna spotted a cyan blue eye open.

"How did you know I wasn't actually asleep?", came Elsa's muffled voice.

"I heard no cute snore."

Elsa's cheeks flushed without her consent. She was mad that Anna kept stalking her sleep but at the same time was surprised she actually snores.

Anna snorted and landed a hand on satin shoulders.

"Let's get you home."

* * *

_I'm in love with the reviews. I'm glad the story is entertaining you all. But you guys are reviewing as guests and I can't talk to you. That's sad. I love chatting... anyways, now that (almost!) everyone has been introduced, let's work on some relationship development, shall we? See ya next week._


	7. O7

_chapter O7_

* * *

Anna was very satisfied with last night outcome.

When she sent a bait-message to check if Elsa was doing anything on that Friday night and the girl answered right away her hopes skyrocketed and she decided to threaten the blonde with her upcoming presence at the fancy apartment. The other girl, however, took too long to answer and Anna feared she'd messed it up.

**There'll b (music note emoticon), there'll b (lamp emoticon)**

**It'll b totes strange but I know u r so ready 4 this change! (smiley face) (thumbs up)**

She quickly typed and was mulling over to text a promise message that they could leave whenever the blonde felt like it. A new message arrived.

**Sounds good.**

"Sounds good…", Anna repeated and smiled, "Sounds good!"

Everyone at Bjorgman's liked Elsa. Anna noticed they all decided to call the blonde "kitten" just like Kristoff teasingly referred to her since she was new there. The girl didn't seem to be bothered by it so Anna didn't intervene. Before Elsa had given her sleepy signal, they'd hung out for almost three hours – that was something!

_Mission accomplished!_, Anna thought. She felt the sunlight warming her face and came to terms with her post-party laziness, stretching her arms and back to greet a brand new day.

A faint blush colored her cheeks as she found Elsa glaring at her that early in the morning.

She has never seen eyelashes so naturally long like Elsa's.

"You need to learn how to wear some clothes when you sleep."

"Nope!", Anna got on her elbows, "_You_ need to learn how to wear no clothes when you sleep."

Elsa sighed, rolling onto her side to get up. The ginger girl arched her eyebrows when the digital alarm on Elsa's nightstand came into view.

"What the fuck."

The woman wearing a blue nightshirt looked over her shoulder.

"What's the matter?"

"You're up."

"Well, that's what we do when we wake up."

"But it's nine in the morning!"

The blonde nodded, understanding the issue. Then she frowned and her cheeks blushed a bit.

"I just assumed…", she tried to grab the door knob but missed it. Twice.

"Assumed what?"

"Woah. All right", Elsa looked down and held her hands up, "You want to follow me. Fine. But you're not allowed to walk around my place n- naked. Put s- something on."

For some reason the blonde's comment made Anna feel embarrassed but she was Anna, she wouldn't let that be known. The girl turned around, kicking the pair of jeans she wore the night before so she could grab them in the air.

"Ah… clothes", she holds the jeans in front of herself, "We meet again. Mind if I insert my gorgeous legs in you, sire? Oh, don't you worry. I'll be gentle."

"Anna, what are you…"

The other girl started moaning out of the blue as her legs slid in the fabric. Elsa rushed to grab the door knob, violently turning it around. She prayed to all Gods that her face wasn't as red as she thought it was. Anna fell on the mattress, laughing, as soon as the bedroom's door was slammed shut.

-x-

"15, 16, 17, 18, 19… 30!"

"Rapunzel_._", came the stern voice of her redhead personal trainer.

The blonde grunted and kept doing the push-ups. She hated push-ups but she need to stay in shape. Anna said she herself wasn't in shape but when Rapunzel's frying pan comes to play the only thing you do is agree.

"Just a bit more", Anna bit her chocolate chip, "Ten more and you can get some rest."

"You… are such… good domme, ginger. Ugh!"

Said ginger laughed and crossed her legs to show respect, "It's Mistress!"

Both chuckled and the blonde ended up falling hard on the carpet. They decided she had done enough for the first afternoon of training.

"And it's five already", Anna reminded her, "The guys will be here very soon."

After having some tea time with Elsa, Anna got a call from her other blonde friend while she was helping the platinum blonde sweep the apartment since the maid was sick. Rapunzel said it was an emergency.

Anna found her friend's request ridiculous – "you're already hot!", she told her – so she made her suffer with lifting exercises.

But before the work out session Rapunzel proposed a fondue night to apologize for stealing Anna away. To level up the odds for a "yes", they called Marshmallow.

Now Rapunzel was getting dressed in the bathroom, in a closed room as normal people do, while Anna was taking her current clothes off and grabbing the ones she mindlessly throw around whenever she changes her outfit. There were clothes on top of their tiny television, under the pull out sofa, behind the refrigerator.

"How the fuck you got on the ceiling fan, baby?", Anna got on the couch and jumped to reach her bra.

The petit blonde let the bathroom door open a bit so her friend could check her out. Anna whistled.

"What's the true reason for calling me to train ya?"

"Military reasons."

"Uh, explain."

"Well", she finished using her rosy lipstick, "the guy I'm dating has an incredible body. I mean, those arms and chest!"

Rapunzel and Anna switched rooms so that fiery mess of hair could be tamed. The blonde continued, "Imagine him naked! Or what if he invites me to a pool party? I need to look good."

"And he's a soldier?"

"He served for three years. Fun, right?"

"Fun?", Anna looked out of the bathroom to check if her friend was joking.

"Well, if I worked as a nurse in a unit full of topless, sweaty, chest haired men… I could've had a very fun time, I'm sure."

Strawberry blonde hair was done in a high ponytail when Anna shove her head out of the bathroom to display her disgust.

"Ew! Outta my house, you perv!"

Rapunzel gasped, "The house is _mine!_"

The pair managed to make the place look decent before Marshmallow knocked at their door.

And they knew it was Marshmallow because one simple knock almost brought the already broken door to the floor.

"Guys!", both girls said. The big guy took them in a bear hug, taking them off their feet for a while, thanking them for the invitation. As Anna reached the floor again, she locked her eyes with Elsa's who watched the affectionate display in silence.

"Hi, Elsa."

"Hello."

"Come in, everyone", Rapunzel pushes Anna gently aside so their guests could get out of the building hall, "The place is humble but I can assure you we will have fun."

Elsa let her coat fall on Anna's proffered hand. She looked around the tidy place and closed her eyes as she inhaled slowly, "And what is that amazing smell?"

"Chocolate", Anna said at the same time she did, making everyone laughs.

Since Marshmallow came wearing a blue dress shirt under a brown waistcoat, he's already made his way to the fondue machine they've set up between the TV and the couch.

"I thought you said it would be cheese fondue", he looked at Rapunzel.

"I did but we would have to go to the market to buy some cheese, a nice wine perhaps, and we were running out of time – as we always do – so we decided to go with traditional chocolate and fruits and club soda."

"Fine by me!", he laughed, shaking the room.

-x-

Fondue time's being glorious so far. Of course Marshmallow's big hands were making a mess on the table but that only made everyone laugh as they helped him get the tiny utensils to grab and sink the chopped fruits in melted chocolate.

The one and a half hour of talking's been divided in Marsh mentioning how tiresome his current work was, he and Elsa (mostly he) sharing interesting memories they have from school years. Said memories were exchanged by extravagant, sometimes cute, stories of Rapunzel and Anna. They finally met the blonde's chameleon and the little creature liked Elsa right away. They were having such a nice time that at some point, when all fruits on the table had been eaten, everybody agreed on chopping some more strawberries, kiwis, bananas and even _bread_ if there was nothing else to eat. The redhead said she could eat pure chocolate just fine and Elsa was busy watching Rapunzel's pet walking back and forth on her arms and shoulders so Marsh and the honey blonde had to go to the kitchen.

That was probably the tenth time in two minutes that Anna would shove a spoon of chocolate in her already full mouth. Not that she cared much – if people wanted her to show them her best, they should bare her worst! Satisfied with her mental self-support, she nodded to herself; her chin was held by two slender fingers. Their coldness caught her attention and she didn't fight back, moving her to face their owner.

Elsa looked at her for a moment. She held Anna's chin tighter, bringing her face closer. Anna opened and closed her mouth several times.

_Say something!_, Anna's mind screamed, _Why the fuck you forget how to human in moments like this? She dates someone! Tell her! Say "You're dating" or "I respect your important one". Say it! Sa-_

"What's this?"

The tall blonde's voice was gentle, curious. Anna noticed then that she was looking upwards, at her hair.

"Oh."

Of course Elsa wasn't going to kiss her because one, they were barely friends; two, Elsa is a good girl, and three, who the hell wouldn't ask what's that white streak on her head. Truth be told, Anna was surprised Elsa and Marshmallow hadn't asked about it sooner. Everyone asks.

"I was born with it", she continued, "Although I dreamt I was kissed by a… troll."

Anna regretted her words as soon as they slipped off her stupid tongue. She wondered why she keeps telling this story if only her parents find it cute. Elsa immediately arched a suspicious eyebrow at the girl's answer and she braced herself to the coming laughter and Elsa's "you're weird" typical remark.

The laughter wasn't arrogant as she expected, though. Anna cracked an eye open and spotted a hand up covering a shy giggle.

"That's adorable."

Anna concluded that was the best fondue ever.

* * *

_Get ready for some pub crew time on Sat! Oh, and I recommend watching Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Youtube to get what Anna says next chapter... and just because Dr Horrible's awesome._


	8. O8

_chapter O8_

* * *

"No fucking way!", Maximus yelled.

The whole place burst out in laughter. Elsa, Marshmallow, Anna and Rapunzel were at Bjorgman's hanging out on a fine Wednesday night.

Anna announced their arrival on top of Marshmallow's very large shoulders. Everyone cheered once they spotted the duo coming in. The big guy stepped aside to show a shy blonde waving her hand to greet everyone and all of them raised their bottles again yelling "kitten".

Elsa sat on her favorite spot, the stool right beside Anna's spot over the counter. Despite her presumption, the redhead didn't sit there that night. What the blonde didn't know was that one of the nights she didn't go with them, Kristoff's gotten drunk and began crying over his past girlfriend. Anna gave him a little peck to cheer him up but that had given him the wrong impression so sitting next to his place of work wasn't very comfortable anymore.

She likes him but not like _that_. Anna likes and cares about all her peeps.

As soon as they put their hands on some drinks, Gothi told them Wednesday night was Truth and Dare time so they were all making awkward, embarrassing things. Half an hour passed before Anna sat beside the young woman playing with her thick braid. Kristoff was on top of all-fours Maximus, twerking. Sven's taken control of the counter while his blond friend was being humiliated down there.

"Dog, gimme some _kaka!_"

The topless man barked at the girls and crouched to grab the item Anna asked for. The girl felt Elsa's eyes watching her when she attacked the thin waffle cones in front of her. She was about to offer some when everyone clapped their hands as Kristoff and Maximus finished their dance.

"I dare you to find someone you can act on as a dom!", Maximus said.

Sven jumped over the counter, "Someone's gonna get their spanking tonight!".

Gothi stopped by and was now the bartender. He's wearing green lipstick, long eyelashes, big earrings and a gray make-up smeared all over his small face making him look like a rocky creature.

"Why does everyone pick dare?", Elsa asked, "They dared Sven without even knowing whether he wanted a dare or not."

The small man smiled at the woman.

"Dares are easier. You do what people ask and that's it. Truths, though…"

"Brave little chickens", Elsa mused.

Gothi nodded.

The reindeer man came back with a smile on his lips. Elsa busied herself with the fruity alcoholic something Anna left on the marble surface so she wouldn't need to participate in any conversation about whatever Sven's done.

"I dare you not to cuss until midnight!"

"Piece of cake!", Anna gave him two thumbs up. Now who would she pick next? Her eyes lay on the wallflower blonde.

"I dare you t-"

"Truth."

"Uh?"

Elsa straightened her back. She was so regal.

"It's truth or dare game and I said 'truth'", Anna opened her mouth to protest but was cut off, "Remember: no cussing."

Any complaint Anna could think of begins with _f_ or _s. _Not to mention the _c _ones. She chuckled.

"Aren't you a mischievous little-"

"Yes, I am. You teach me well. My turn."

_Ooh'_s filled the place as the poised girl looked around to see who she would challenge next. Anna was left gasping.

Gothi patted Anna on the back, consoling the lost child.

"She's good, she's good."

-x-

The night was dying and Bishop dared Anna to dance with the old man in the corner. Little she knew that he had a peculiar… gait. The man danced like a chicken for what it looked like an hour. Anna's feet were bombarded by his drunken steps.

"Well… he was sprightly."

Anna leaned on the nearest stool to rub her sore feet.

"Especially for a man in heels, _ouch…_."

"Are you okay…?", Elsa asked after a chuckle.

The freckled girl looked up to meet the blonde's curious face. She was concerned but amused still – and Anna just loved the pub's kitten's attention.

"I've never been better… This is so nice, isn't it? I wish we could hang out on Weds every week."

"Me too…"

Her response was sincere, so heartfelt it warmed Anna's racing heart. Those cyan blue eyes looked at her with care, long eyelashes slowly moving up and down.

_Shit. She's drunk._

An arm slung around Anna's neck. Teal eyes shot open. She never noticed their height difference before being beneath Elsa's chin.

"I'm sleepy", she states against burnished auburn tresses.

"You always are."

Elsa gave a ridiculously weak slap on the girl's legs for that. She was too inebriated to even sit properly. Anna snaked an arm around the blonde figure, allowing her to cuddle more while they waited Marsh finish losing for Merida in playing darts.

-x-

"_I'm sorry, Darling"_, a male voice sounded through the cheap phone's speaker, _"This Thursday is impossible to drive to your town… I tried to damage control it. I went to your apartment yesterday but you weren't home."_

Elsa grabbed her phone with all strength she possessed. She couldn't believe Marsh made her hang out downtown with him, Anna, Rapunzel and the pub crew. It was fun, yes, but she missed a golden opportunity and she would have to wait another week to see him.

"It's…", she sighed, "I understand. This kind of thing happens every now and then."

"_I'm glad you understand. Just seven more days and I will be knocking at your door."_, he joked to soothe the mood. Elsa tried laughing but failed. Just after the man mentioned the door, the apartment's one was knocked, startling her.

The man began to say something to comfort her but the blonde selflessly reminded he needed to go to his business meeting and as that the call ended.

Elsa stood up, looking at the long rectangular mirror adorning the upper half of the hall wall, checking if her eyes were too puffy. She deep breathed and turned the knob to reveal a redhead girl carrying a backpack just like children do, excited for their first school day.

"I know you're always busy on Thursdays – not that I know what's up because, you know, you don't _tell_ me but it's okay. I'm not here to complain. I just passed by to deliver Marshmallow's clothes… Elsa?"

The concern in Anna's voice was the final hit needed for the tears Elsa had been holding manage to build up her oceanic eyes. Startled by Anna's step taken toward her, the blonde turned around.

"I'm sorry, Anna. Marshall is not here and I don't feel like being a hostess", she felt she was being harsh so she rushed to rephrase it, "I'm not sure I'm able to be a good company right now. So, please…"

Elsa didn't bother finishing her sentence. She slowly walked to the couch to isolate herself. The door was quickly closed and she thanked Anna in silence for understanding she needed space.

Seconds later, the couch moved with the weight added to it. Anna placed her bag down, unzipping it.

"What are…", the saddened girl asked, arms around her torso as if she was going to fall apart.

"This", she held a green cased laptop up, "is my Freeze Ray. And I'll stop your pain."

Elsa freaked out in silence when the other woman got off the couch, throwing the device in the air so the blonde could catch it. A minute passed and she came back holding the comforter her friend always sleeps with. Anna made Elsa scoot over a bit so she could put the fluffy fabric on the couch seats, leaving lots of it hanging on the sides so they could wrap themselves with it.

In five minutes the two girls looked like blue burritos, laptop on their laps lighting flushed faces as they watched Dr. Horrible.

* * *

_Sorry for not updating sooner; work was a bitch this Sat.  
_


	9. O9

_chapter O9_

* * *

"So, yeah, I may have a crush on her."

"_Pfft!_", the blonde girl rolled her eyes, "You _may?_ You have the hugest crush on Elsa!"

After the truth or dare night, Anna's mind was a mess. Marshmallow drove them back, Elsa leaning on Anna until they dropped her at Rapunzel's.

"I can't let that evolve, you know? I mean, that happened before and it wasn't good."

"As far as I know, you got yourself in plenty of trouble because you never let the crush ever evolves."

Anna held a hand against her chest, "That hurts. I let it evolve with Prince."

"You what!", Rapunzel yelled, "You guys met for a couple of hours."

"But it was true love!"

"He was lying to you! Didn't your parents ever warn ya about strangers?"

"Yes, they did… But Hans was not a stranger. I thought we _knew _each other."

"Oh yeah?", the grumpy blonde challenged, "I've asked you all those years ago back in high school but let's go through it again to remind you – what was his favorite drink?"

"…Something fancy."

"Best friend's name?"

"Probably John."

"Eye color."

"D- Dreamy."

She felt the conversation was going down a dangerous path.

"Foot size."

Anna arched an eyebrow, "Hey, his crotch was kinda nice."

"_Dude_."

"Fuck it! What I mean is I've grown up – I'm more mature", she ran her fingers through her hair, "What I'm feeling right now is so intense, Punzel… I need to figure this shit out."

She picked her smartphone. After several attempts, the person finally picked up.

"_All right. I'm up."_

"Rise and shine!"

"_Ugh."_

"Are you in _that_ tunnel? Because your voice is really muffled right now."

"_No, Anna. I'm not in between someone's thighs. I appreciate your honest concern, though."_

They shared a laugh. Elsa is prude, yes, but she's been exploring her sassiness pretty well since the truth or dare hang out.

_The truth or dare…, _Anna sighed.

"_What's up with the sigh?"_

"Uh? Oh! Nothing. Just, you know, sighing. Actually, Elsa, you up to some girls' time?"

"Girls' time?", Rapunzel whispered. Anna had already forgotten about her, "What the hell? You were just sulking over your cru-"

"Yeah? Great!", the ginger stood up, "I'll be there in a heartbeat."

_Heartbeat, hah hah…_

-x-

The main door was slightly open so their favorite visitor could come in freely. Of course Elsa wasn't expecting the girl to almost bring the wooden door down.

"What. Is. This. Smell."

Elsa was wearing Marsh's lavender apron. She looked over her shoulders, pleased to see the youngest of them drooling over the warm tray she had placed on the kitchen island.

"No way…!"

"Yes way."

"No, seriously", she moved her hands over and around the object as if it was too sacred to be touched.

The blonde leaned her lower back on the kitchen's white marble sink, linen towel in hands after all dishes being washed. Her visitor was on her knees, worshipping the tray full of waffle cones filled with creamy concoction. Anna's eyes were very bright the first time the blonde called her weird, but now? Fireworks were trying to come out of those childish orbs.

"When you asked Sven to give you some 'kaka', I didn't get it. When he put the plate on the counter, though, I was taken aback."

Anna looked up and giggled, "That's why you were staring? I thought you were hungry!"

Elsa smiled and walked towards the wooden island.

"It's been a while since the last time I went to my homeland. Krumkake's one of the things I miss the most."

"Wait, _homeland?_"

"_Ja._", Elsa answered with the finest Norwegian Anna's ever heard. She just said _yes_ but that was a hot damn _yes_. Not to mention the _forsyn deg_ that followed, allowing her to attack the treats.

Both spent the afternoon eating _krumkake_, drinking some warm milk and chatting. Anna couldn't make Elsa agree Dr. Horrible needed a sequel. The blonde was pretty adamant about the plot being good enough on its own, which made Anna whines. She needed to know about the Bad Horse. Feeling defeated, the redhead changed the topic to something both of them have in common: being born in Norway. She wondered how she hadn't realized it sooner. There is a beautiful fjord painting framed on the TV room since the first time she slept there but she simply assumed it was some random rich object. The topic that took longer to die, though, was dreams.

"That's why you sleep so much, then?"

Elsa was so shy talking about it, opening herself, that Anna made sure to step carefully forward not to scare her friend. One question at time instead of her usual word-vomiting.

"Sort of. I have plenty of lucid dreams."

"Lucid dreams?"

"When you are conscious in it. As if you were awake", she takes a bite of the last waffle cone they were sharing, "I can explore them and mold them, or just let go of the control I possess and allow my mind to play."

"That's super duper interesting!", the ginger beamed. She looked down at the empty tray, taking some loose hair behind her ear, "And I… uh, I bet your dreams are amazing!"

"W- Well…"

A faint blush covered the girl's cheeks.

_Ugh! So cute!_

Honestly, going to Elsa's place did nothing but enhance the smoldering infatuation Anna holds for the blonde. A tiny seed of hope was finding its way on the ground of their friendship and Anna couldn't ignore it. Maybe Elsa's relationship wasn't that serious and Anna could show she was better. She had to work on it and wait… wait… Waiting is so hard! Why was the blonde so fucking adorable?

Anna smirked, _or adorably fucka… uh, never mind._

-x-

The following day Elsa got a text message at noon and since the redhead was finally respecting her sleep time by not annoying her so early, she stopped reading her book and did what the message told her to. She unlocked the main door and didn't find Anna standing there as she thought she would. The sound of plastic being hit by the wind made her look down. A smiley expression dominated her features.

By the door on the mat there was a big basket full of Scandinavian candies, chocolate and cheese her friend somehow found. The woman chuckled when she spotted a Häagen-Dazs in the middle of it – she needed to talk to Anna about foreigner branding.

Then she noticed a post-it.

_For our next girls' time :-)_

That basket was the most adorable, caring thing someone has ever given to her. Days ago when she almost cried in front of Anna, she got truly mad by the girl not respecting her space. It was a personal matter and she didn't want to share. Anna never asked about what was bothering her, though. They just watched musicals and made company to each other without talking much.

Last afternoon was even more incredible. Anna's the only person besides Marsh who knows she has a connection to Norway and it was so good to have some quality time on a daily basis.

Elsa grabbed her old phone.

-x-

Anna and Rapunzel were lying on their improvised bed.

"Something's vibrating."

Rapunzel shoved her hand full of popcorn into her mouth, not getting her eyes off the TV screen, "Nothin' mine. Mah dildo outta bat."

Anna moved around until she found the object giving them weird sensations.

"Ooh, text message", she tapped the screen twice and her pupils dilated.

"_Come on Thursday."_

* * *

_You disappointed me, WordReference __(òAó_)_ Big thanks to _NorwegianPride_ for correcting the tiny bits of Norwegian in this chapter._


	10. 1O

_chapter 1O_

* * *

_Elsa. _

Elsa is everything someone can ask for. She is beautiful – _gorgeous_ inside-out. And unique. Anna began to cherish the times she would go to the expensive apartment and spot a sleepily blonde walking around, having to guide her back to the bed without waking her up.

She began to cherish the moments she manages to watch Elsa focused on those books she still needs to ask what they are about. The moments Elsa feels free to laugh without hiding her mouth. Or not being attacked every time the girl woke up with Anna naked on the bed. Elsa would just put the comforter on Anna as well so they could sleep some more. That was a good change.

They've known each other for almost three months. Three months of friendship bonding, showing Elsa her world, working to bring the girl's walls down. Three months to come to this.

A heartbreak.

Rapunzel walked to the TV-slash-living-slash-dinning-slash-bedroom, plate full of food in hands. Anna has become one with the old couch, tons of blankets providing her a forlorn shack.

The redhead had left her hopes up after being invited to Elsa's on a Thursday – The Thursday. The Top Secret Thursday she assumed it was Elsa's time with her date. What that could mean? One, Elsa finally felt comfortable enough to introduce her important one to Anna. She finally would break the last of the walls. She would be able to know her opponent (_what!_). Or two, Elsa saw she's been having more fun in the world Anna showed to her than in all the period she'd been with the other fella.

What Anna had never expected was knocking at that massive door and be greeted with the blonde holding a two year old cutie in her arms.

"Here."

Puffy-eyed redhead looked up to grab the new round of bacon.

"That's not bacon."

"Nope", Rapunzel put her hands on her hips, "You need something healthy for once this week. And if I'm not mistaken, you should be getting dressed by now. Won't you go to Marsh's today?"

Anna pulled all blankets over her, "No. I will never ever leave."

That was enough. Rapunzel's been putting up with her friend's shit for a week, letting her mend that shattered heart of hers, cuddling with her when she silently cried. She could understand it wasn't easy finding out that the person you're interested in has the deep connection of a child with someone who still was a thing in the person's routine but her never-ending Drama Queen attitude was intolerable.

With all her might Rapunzel clutched the blankets and pulled them out at once. Anna was about to complain but stopped it when she saw the other girl was ready to let some steam off by punching something – or a certain freckled young woman.

"I'm done with you, Anna!", the blonde woman yelled, "You let your mind trip way before being friends with Elsa. And damn, she's amazing!", Anna nodded at that, "You've found a wonderful person to be friends with and now you're willing to spoil everything with your hormones. Because of _yourself_, you got fucked up! Now what? Screw Elsa's efforts to welcome you in due to your recklessness? I let you sulk all you wanted but now you need to get on your feet like a decent human being and _move on_."

The blonde left to who knows where before she gave in the temptation of grabbing her frying pan. Words were enough, she thought.

They had to be.

And they were. Anna sat on the couch, staring down at her hands. What had she done? After her short first encounter with the little boy, she messaged Elsa saying she got a bug or something and wouldn't be able to visit them for a while. Marshmallow understood the situation and just messaged the ginger before heading to his work to check if she was getting any better. Few of the messages Anna ever texted back.

"I'm despicable…"

Heaving out a deep sigh, she got up to take a shower, brush her teeth, get some new clothes on her slim body to be presentable once again… and move on.

-x-

If you can't cut it off, get used to it.

Elsa and Anna were friends. _Period_.

By the time she knocked at the door, thoughts of the things she still wanted to know flickered in her head.

"Anna", she smiled, "I'm glad you're all right. Please, come in."

Elsa was all laid-back on that Thursday. Instead of her usual jeans and shirt, her svelte body was wrapped in a cerulean blue sweater big enough to hide her slender fingers; long legs clad with light gray sweatpants.

There were wooden toys all over the TV room. The baby boy sat on the carpet was wearing a tiny version of Elsa's sweater, diaper and a pair of red little socks. It seemed as he noticed the presence of another person in the room. He leaned his head back, slanted hazel brown eyes closing as he smiled at Anna.

"Hi, Ansel", she crouched at his side, "How ya doin', buddy?"

After fetching something for them to eat, Elsa sat on the carpet as well. Anna and she caught up with news Anna missed due to her fake illness while they praised Ansel for having picked the correct object every time they said a word. Elsa mentioned that at the boy's age language development takes major leaps which leads to learning the name of his toys and other objects more easily than when he was one year old.

"Anna… Anna. Come on, lil' buddy. You can do it."

"Ah…", the little boy said while staring at her.

Actually, everything they say is really just a stream of sounds to him so Anna took the chance to make him relate the sound of her name to herself.

"That's it! Anna!", she looked at the giggling blonde, "What?"

"You're not doing it correctly", she reprehended her softly, "You need to say each sound so he can take a step at time or…"

"Mama!", the boy blurted, eyes filled with pride.

Anna's freckles vanished as her face got fierier than them. Elsa laughed and continued.

"Or different words will come out."

Anna picked him up when Elsa had to answer the phone. She received a cute squeaky laugh each time she pretended he was flying.

She saw Elsa talking on the phone and watching them, loving eyes on her baby son. Ansel only got her mother's pale skin. Probably his eyes and light brown hair were his father's. Anna was sure Elsa was love-struck by the resemblances the boy carried from his father, man she certainly still loves.

Anna held the boy close to her chest, stroking his small sensitive back under the blue fabric. Is Elsa in an open relationship or did she date someone and got pregnant? The man had been kind enough to take care of the child, it seems… was the man very rich, making him more suitable to raise the boy? And why Ansel has red patches on his skin, and a chubby neck recovering from blisters? Well, Elsa knows it all and now that they were friends, Anna has to get her act together to deserve knowing all these bits of the blonde.

She was glad Elsa has a life she thought the girl hadn't. Elsa had already had a love experience in her life good enough to grant this wonderful child to her. Anna was glad. She needs to be glad.

Her smile drops. She tries not to get emotional. 

Elsa has a life.

And that actually hurts pretty bad.

* * *

_emotional rollercoaster time_;_ tis Elsanna after all. Bear with me._


	11. 11

_chapter 11_

* * *

"I am _so_ sorry, Elsa", Anna whined, "I shouldn't have made you come!"

"It's… It's ok, Anna, really. We'll be fine- Oh Gods, Rapunzel. Red light! Red light!"

The car came to an abrupt stop jerking everyone forward against the front seats or console or whatever in front of them. Seatbelts were wonderful but even they couldn't stand the blonde's clumsy driving skills.

Rapunzel had just gotten her driver's license and wanted to drive to no matter where. Now Anna realized the girl's date was smarter than them by making a lame excuse to not tag along. Rapunzel was terrible behind the wheel!

"We're close, girls!", Rapunzel seemed to not know why they were freaking out so much about the ride, "Just… a few…", the car turn sharp right and was put in park, "_Ta-dah!_"

Now that the vehicle wasn't moving anymore, Anna relaxed on her seat, light sheen of sweat on her face. She just asked Rapunzel to drive them to the nearest store so they could buy a cellphone. Never had she considered the three of them would get themselves almost killed in the process.

"Let's get the flaming fuck out of this car, p- please."

They got in the store, Elsa holding the redhead by the shoulders as her legs were shaking too much to properly walk. A week ago Anna decided to take pictures of Ansel and noticed Elsa's slight pout due to her mobile not being able to take such high definition pictures. They decided the blonde should buy a new phone and there they were at some random store, the roommates in charge of finding a device with fair price since Elsa knew nothing about it.

In a couple of minutes the girls showed up again, rushing the tall blonde to the cashier. Satisfied with the price, she paid for the product and offered to treat them some junk food. As they stepped out of the building, Elsa stopped walking and the girls looked back – she was inspecting the small box's contents, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Is there something wrong?", Rapunzel asked, "You said we could pick so…"

Elsa shook her head, showing she was ok with it but they got one problem.

"There are no buttons", she stated as she shows them a clean flat screen.

Rapunzel smiled at the girl, understanding she wasn't familiar with the technology but Anna found it too hard not to laugh, which lead her nape to get sore.

-x-

Anna was lying on the living room carpet, watching her blonde friend lightly scratches the baby itchy back. Ansel donned a dorky smile when she reached the best spot, making the girls laugh.

"Am I doing it right, love?", came the soothing voice Anna grew to love.

The boy pressed his chubby tummy on the carpet as he stretched his back.

"I'm pretty sure that's a yes", the redhead said. Elsa smiled back and put Ansel on her lap again so she could kiss his forehead.

Even though Ansel is the symbol of the line she can't cross, his time with Elsa always warms her heart. It was good to see that kind of relationship; knowing in a couple of minutes that would end makes questions pop up inside her head by the millionth time just that day. There was no way Elsa could have done something bad to lose the freedom of living with her child. _I mean… just look at her!_

The younger woman was being the best friend she could be and she felt she had the right to ask for more… but how?

The two of them looked at the sofa seat. Elsa's new phone rang like crazy. The blonde stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Anna crawled to Ansel's side, catching his attention.

"Yoo sho kyut!", she pinched the boy's flushed cheeks, "Oh yesh, yoo ah!"

Elsa was walking back and forth with her smart phone glued to her left ear. Her joyful features were gone when she got back to the living room, sitting on the sofa instead of the floor with the redhead and the boy.

"Hey…", Anna whispered and the blonde looked at her, "did you see your new phone home screen?"

Elsa took the device from her jeans pocket. The screen lit up and her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"I took while you were getting his bottle ready", Anna confessed.

The blonde was looking at a picture of Ansel and Anna taken from above. They were lying on the same fluffy Bordeaux carpet they are now, Anna and he smiling as she probably was tickling above his belly button.

The older woman bit her lip to contain the emotion, leaning down to reach Anna's hair without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Thank you, Anna…"

The redhead never answered. She closed her eyes, enjoying the kind gesture as she mimicked it on the baby boy's thin hair. Elsa rested her face on the other arm, watching Ansel almost fall asleep by her friend's touch; and like that they stayed for whoever knows how long. The moment was peaceful but they knew it would end soon after the call Anna knew it was from Ansel's father. She sympathizes with the situation in a way the blonde would still have to learn. Anna has being a great help taking care of her new little buddy when Elsa needed to do the chores and Ansel seemed to adore Anna (or _mama_. They still were working on a way to undo the misunderstanding).

_Bzzzz_, sounded the doorbell. It startled the baby and Elsa rushed to his side, calming him with kisses peppered all over his round face. It wasn't a terrible situation; the boy just got a bit scared and was crying as kids usually do but maybe because the blonde was already on verge of crying, at that moment she let her teardrops break free.

Anna clenched her jaw, standing on her feet and storming towards the door when the guy rang the goddamn device again. _Can't he wait a bit for fuck's sake!?_

She filled her lungs with air to calm her down before opening the door. She couldn't be rude to the father of Elsa's son. But the door wasn't even truly opened and the jerk was complaining he and the boy needed to hurry because of some meeting he would be going to in a few hours.

"Can't you chill for a sec?", Anna whispered sharply.

The man stopped talking, taken aback by someone who wasn't Elsa. Since he finally shut the fuck up, Anna took a moment to scrutinize him. Middle-aged man, average height, brown hair in his almost bald head, thick nose between a pair of wrinkled eyes and a chubby belly struggling to get inside of his dark pants.

He must had been good looking or very fucking charming years ago but now… She frowned, _what the fuck Elsa sees in you?_

"Excuse me?", he said, now frowning too. It seems like Anna has spoken her thoughts once again.

"Who are you, miss?", he demanded.

"For sure someone who cares for Elsa more than you do."

"Wha…", the spitfire shove a finger in his shoulders, "How dare you!"

"No. How dare _you_", she knew her voice was getting a bit louder but she couldn't care less, "Have you never noticed how Elsa's eyes get sad and teary when you take her son away? Who the fuck takes a son away from their mom to begin with!?"

She shoved him back again.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, young lady."

"Don't you dare talk as if you were superior just because you're older!", she talked back, "You piece of shit!"

Now she's in a roll and had to protect her friend's happiness. The man mumbled something as he kept being attacked by the girl.

"I don't know much about this, and it's good. Not good but good_,_ like, in 'fine'. I respect her pace. Whatever Elsa did in the past to lose your trust, it's gone. The past is in the past! And Elsa's incredible!", she growls, "She's… She's the most precious woman in the face of the Earth. And gorgeous and caring – I mean, how lucky Ansel is! I tell you, he is very fucking lucky but _you_, sir, spoil it all by not letting them live under the same roof for more than a fucking day! Elsa's not alone anymore. She has friends. So you better get your shit together before I-"

"_Anna_."

The girl stopped dead in her tracks, realizing she pushed the man too much and they were now standing in the building's hallway while she yelled at the visitor. Elsa's blue eyes were wide open as she stood in the main door, a hand over the boy's ear so he wouldn't listen to the girl's language Elsa always scold her about.

"Anna", she repeated, "what the heck you're doing!"

"Putting some sense into this dickhead."

"Keep your hands off him", Elsa demanded.

Now what! If Elsa didn't have the guts to fight him, it was fine by Anna to do the task. But now the blonde was _defending_ him? A jealously she didn't know she had set her core ablaze. Being in love is one thing. But being blind was stupidity.

The tall young woman rushed to them when Anna's right hand slide over the man's suit, getting a hold near his neck to shut the man's laugh – _how dare he laughs!_

"Anna!"

"Don't _Anna_ me now. I'm tired of seeing you so vulnerable every time your son leaves!"

Anna spotted Elsa and the middle-aged man surprised faces when she said "son". Wasn't Elsa even allowed to call Ansel _son_? What's the problem with that disgusting geezer!

The feeble attempt from Elsa to stop Anna was laughable compared to the rage coming out of the ginger. Elsa acknowledged trying to stop the ginger with only one arm was impossible; so all she could do was yell at the fiery headed, hoping the landlord wouldn't send to Marsh and her a note asking them to leave.

Anna froze.

"He's not my son!", Elsa repeated out of breath, "I take care of him, yes. But being a mother? Kai and I never had anything! He's… Gods, why did you assume all this?"

"Because…", Anna looked at the floor. _What the hell is going on? _That was the third Thursday she spent with Elsa and Ansel and the woman was very motherly towards him. She rubs aloe vera onto his damaged skin and read some fairy tale to lull him to sleep. Last weekend Anna bought some books for first time mothers and gave to Elsa… Even though the blonde acted awkward, she thanked her. _But you don't need to be a mother to buy or read books for mothers, do you?_, Anna frowned as reality hit her.

At the same time, though, the drunken thought of Elsa being a mermaid inside a shell hit her train of thought. The woman's life is inside a shell that has been opening very slowly but opening still. Anna would busy herself every Thursday by playing with Ansel so she could get more comfortable with the fact Elsa was off limits and the ache in her heart would soon ebb; and that caused them to talk less, focusing on the boy instead. She didn't give Elsa a chance to open up and of course Elsa didn't do her best to expose herself – that was totally not her style, anyway.

In the times they hang out at Bjorgman's Anna gets high in the first hour to have some mindless fun and avoid thinking every guy was ogling at the fair blonde. In fact she knew she was jealous long ago but that wasn't right. They are friends and friends are happy for their friends being happy.

Anna wasn't happy.

Anna wasn't a good friend because that wasn't what she wanted to be. She yearned for more and that was making her head a mess to the point she ignored any hint of the situation in front of her being something different from what she convinced herself to be.

The redhead brought a hand to her face, hiding the shame she was feeling at the moment.

"I…"

Elsa scoffed as she guided the man – Kai – by his shoulders to the apartment insides. Anna avoided the woman's angry gaze.

"You made up a tragic story in your wild mind. You answered the door without me asking you to. You are cussing and wrangling in front of my place and just threatened _my guest. _You almost hit Kai!"

Now that Elsa was listing the things she's done in a few minutes, Anna mulled over the possibility of digging a hole in the terrazzo flooring hall.

The blonde sighed, her cheeks burning in shame, "That's so embarrassing! Please, Anna. Leave."

Anna didn't know what to say. Was "I'm sorry" enough? Of course it was not. She messed up big time. She could feel a ginormous version of the terracotta walls of the hall rising from the floor, right between Elsa and she. The tobacco wooden door closed in her face minutes ago – or hours had passed already? She wasn't sure. She simply didn't give a shit.

* * *

_Hang in there, hang in there..._


	12. 12

_chapter 12_

* * *

_9 p.m._

_Knock knock._

_Knock knock knock._

_Knock... knock._

"Elsa?", she awaited and sighed when no one answered, "I know you're in there. The guys are asking where you've been…"

Nothing.

She stares at the door in front of her; the barrier that was keeping her away from Elsa's not-so-little world she was feeling so welcomed in.

Anna takes a deep breath to keep tears at bay when she speaks again, "I even bought some kringles…"

Suddenly, the door her forehead was pressed on moves. Someone finally opens it!

It was Marshmallow and his face wasn't very friendly. Anna quickly remembers the time he said he would hunt her until she ran off a cliff if Elsa ever got hurt.

_Two hundred foot drop. Shit._

She looked up and found the huge fair skinned man crossing his thick arms against his chest, glaring at her.

"Annie."

"Ha…", she swallowed hard, "Hi, Marsh… Marshall, sir?"

He stood quiet, only observing her. A minute passed and his deep voice came.

"You ok?"

She nods… then she shakes her head… then she nods.

"I need to see her, Marsh", she whispered.

"How do you know Elsa even wants to see you?"

She doesn't.

She never did.

"I need to see her", she repeats, "I fucked up big time but it wasn't my intention. I need to tell her – I need to make her understand!"

His sighs and Anna feels herself floating when Marshmallow holds her by the scruff of her t-shirt. A petit ginger in one hand, a bag of cheap kringles in the other.

-x-

_10:45 p.m. _

A delicious smell make their eyes wide open.

"Dough… syrup… Damn, strawberries!", he sprints through the hallway and found Rapunzel moving her hips to some nonexistent song in her small kitchen. She turned around as soon as he reached the main door.

"Mashmallow!"

"Pancakes!"

"Pancakes… smells like victory!", Anna, still hung by Marshmallow's paw, says.

"Wait, are you serious?", the blonde rises an eyebrow.

Both girls share a smirk and say,

"Pancake Fortress!"

-x-

_11:00 p.m._

Anna stared at their piece of art. Marsh was with both hands on his hips just like Anna.

"Is that enough?", he frowned.

"Nope", she hugged seven rectangular card boxes and walked to the trash bin, "but we ran out of pancake mix."

"I can't believe we're not going to accomplish our mission…", Rapunzel says with a pout.

"Hey, hey. Don't be sad! I'm sure if we cut and cut and cut them in smaller pieces we will be able to get 372,844 square-shaped pancakes."

Marsh's eyes lit up as Anna held two knives in front of him.

_11:50 p.m._

"How many do we have?"

Marsh stopped cutting.

"I… I think I kind of forgot to count?"

"Marshmallow, oh my gosh-"

"I'm so, so sorry!"

Anna has her arms crossed in front of her chest, angry face on. The glare didn't last long since the trio started laughing.

"Aw, man. Let's keep slicing them until the amount at least looks like 372,844 pancakes."

"Aye aye, ma'am!"

-x-

_00:20_

Marshmallow was sitting on the girls' couch (now with the bed pulled out), each lady on one of his legs so they all could fit in the furniture to cut the dough together.

Rapunzel has cancelled her date and the girls planned to snuggle with Marsh after Kristoff came by to deliver some treats from the pub to make Anna feel better.

"That's so much fun", Marshmallow said.

"I'm glad you're enjoying. You know, I build pancake fortresses with Rapunzel since we're kids. We'd spend the morning cooking with her dad. I'm sure that's why we were chubby back then."

"You and Rapunzel seem to be very close."

Rapunzel chuckled.

"We're cousins, actually."

The large man stared at her, "I would never guess! You're nothing alike. Besides the walking around with underwear bit."

"All my bitches learn something from me", Anna winked at Rapunzel.

"You're teaching me how to build a fortress of square-shaped pancakes", Marshmallow mused, "Am I one of your bitches now?"

"You're the one saying that!"

They laughed again. It was fun, indeed, spending time with her big softie. He laughs at her lame jokes, gets her nerd innuendos – the sexual ones she kept to people like Rapunzel –, and would give her bear hugs at random times.

"I wish Elsa had had fun with us."

Her two friends are caught off guard by the statement.

"After everything she's done to you, she deserves some lonely time.", Rapunzel scoffs, complexion and voice filled with derision.

Marshmallow frowns but stays quiet, leaving the talking to his redheaded friend, "Rapunzel!"

"Rapunzel _what?_", the blonde shots her a glare, "She was a bi-"

"Don't you…"

"_A bitch_ to you", she said, ignoring Anna's threat, "She didn't have the consideration to let you know who the kid was. Not that you should have automatically assumed the boy was her son, but aren't you friends?"

"We are", Anna looked down, "Or were; I dunno."

"Well, you need to know that, Anna. It's been, what? Five days that you don't talk? And she haven't tried to reach you yet!", she sighed, "I'm glad you're not acting all needy and knocking at her door."

Anna and Marshmallow exchanged looks, agreeing the honey blonde needn't to know the big man actually found Anna almost sobbing at his door. He looked at the kitchen and checked the frying pan location just in case.

At the same time, as they fell into silence, Rapunzel realizes she's been saying bad things about Elsa in front of his (tall and strong) friend. She doesn't fear him but discreetly looks at the kitchen and plans a route to her pan, just in case.

"I kind of agree with Rapunzel."

"You _do?_"

He nodded at the blonde and then looked at Anna, "Elsa cares about you, Anna. That I know for sure… but she's complicated. She doesn't know how to cope with other people", he runs his fingers through his hair and sighs, "I can't even remember the last time she'd been friends with someone."

"That doesn't save her ass, though", Rapunzel mumbles.

"No, it doesn't. But I want you two to understand she's not used to this", he points at the three of them, "anymore. And Ansel's backstory… I'm sorry. She really is the one who needs to tell you this. She should've told you already."

Anna stopped paying attention to the please-I-like-you-too-much-to-actually-yell argument that started between Marshmallow and Rapunzel. Her mind drifted off to their platinum blonde friend and the little boy. She agreed with Rapunzel. What was the deal with Ansel, anyway? She, however, could not truly get mad at Elsa. She could only get mad at herself.

_This is so sick_, she massages her temples, _Since when Elsa is so important that I can't even feel something negative towards her for more than a few seconds?_

Anna chuckles. _Since ever._

The argument seemed to have come to an end, only Marshmallow's deep voice resonating through the quiet room.

"Just don't give up on her…"

The plea caught the girls' attention. The man's eyebrows were furrowed, lips pursed in a thin line. His dark blue eyes lost in old memories. Memories that didn't seem to be good ones.

Anna reached his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm not leaving her", she smiles.

Marshmallow smiles back; satisfaction finding its way to his square-shaped face.

"Do you like her?"

Anna's smile fell. Rapunzel sees it, giving her best not to squeal, her cheeks got full of air.

"Uh-"

"You hesitated", the blonde pointed out.

"I did _not!_", her friends looked at her suspiciously, "Oh my gosh, guys. Not everything is about love… not, not _that_ love! Not that kind… I don't want to ruin things. Elsa", the name burned her tongue and stirred her stomach, "She's important to me. But that's it. Let's cut the damn dough."

-x-

_00:54_

They were building now the fortress at the kitchen. As soon as Rapunzel excused herself to answer her phone, the large man cleared his throat to get the ginger's attention.

"Els is lost. I can tell", he checks if the blonde is out of earshot and continues, "I don't think you should spoil her, she really needs to grow up in the friendship department, but next Thursday Ansel will be at home. Her mood is going to be at its highest. Show up there, create the opportunity for you girls to talk."

The girl was about to thank him when her phone buzzed inside her jeans pocket. She grabbed it, unlocked the screen to check the new message. She smirks.

"Well, if it isn't…", the smug smile fades out of her lips, her eyes get frantic.

"What's wrong, Anna?", Rapunzel asks as her cousin dashed in the other room to grab a coat and her ride gloves.

"I-I-I better go. I have to...I better go."

She hurries off, leaving two disoriented friends behind.

* * *

_You: Another cliffhanger!? You little shit! _

_I: Hey, don't attack me yet! I might be busy as fuck with my final papers and a new work stuff that came up and playing Dragon Age (because that's important too!), so revising the next chapter in the middle of the week will be a no no. I'm gonna post ch 13 later this Sat. Just a couple of hours, guys. I know you can do it._


	13. 13

_chapter 13_

* * *

Anna ran top speed towards the glass building, letting the bike fall loudly in the middle of the empty hospital sidewalk, and dashed down the hall she hoped would take her to her destination.

She was having a hard time to maintain her heart anywhere bellow her neck. An annoying noise inside her head deafened her. All she could do was walk, walk, walk and look around, checking every hall until she finds who she was looking for – the waiting room in the second floor finally being her final stop.

Sitting there was Elsa. Messy platinum hair covering her shoulders, wearing a blue silk night robe and socks. The young woman looked like a cracked porcelain doll. Lost azure eyes hovered at the panting rider standing in front of her.

"He was b- burning… He- He…"

"Shh", Anna went down, resting on both knees as she held the desperate blonde by the shoulder when her words were caught in her throat, "Breathe and tell me what happened. But take your time, alright?"

Elsa nodded.

Kai left Ansel with her earlier again. The blonde reported her night with Ansel as if Anna was a police officer.

"I heard him crying in his room. Around midnight, I'm certain", Anna nodded, "He's been trying to scratch his skin and I had a difficult time holding him back, but a fever? I- I can't figure what I've done wrong."

Elsa eyes were frantic. Anna sat beside the woman, covering her with the winter coat she luckily brought from Rapunzel's, adrenaline from riding warming her up.

"What if... What if I-"

"Woah, there", the redhead interrupted, "Don't even finish this sentence. He's going to be alright. Don't assume the worst."

Anna's thumb slowly rubbed the top of her trembling hand. The warmest sensation wrapping her arm, then her whole body, making her regrets for calling the woman she shut out so late at night ebb away.

"I am sorry for shutting you out."

"It doesn't matter right now, Elsa."

"It _does _matter, Anna", blue eyes pierced teal ones and the ginger couldn't know if they were teary because of Ansel or because of hurting her… maybe both, "I was too harsh on you."

"And I was too pretentious."

"Pretentious? You were trying to defend me!"

"I was defending a cause I knew nothing about. I should've opened my eyes but I clouded them instead with my imagination", Elsa stays silent, "I should've respected your pace as I said I would. But you should've trusted me a little bit more", she sighs, "We're both wrong in the end…"

"Anna, I… I didn't…"

"Elsa, do you really think this is going to get us somewhere?", the shorter woman asked. She was upset, not in the mood for some back and forth self-accusations, and her question made the blonde quiet for a while.

"Even though that day turned out being rather awkward, Kai was amazed I have such loyal friend", she whispered.

Anna saw a quick smile gracing the blonde features. It made Anna feel warm inside. Both women were looking anywhere but at each other.

"Of course I'm loyal", she said, "and I'll be by your side whenever you need... just let me in a bit more."

"I'm sorry…"

As a frightened kid, Elsa's pinky held the other woman's and like that they stayed until a doctor came into view and the blonde rushed to meet him and Ansel who was in the man's arms. Anna watched them talking, no idea of what really was being said.

_Not that it matters_, she smiled when Elsa gushed over the baby, _Little buddy's safe now._

She stood up to meet the platinum blonde and her protégé.

"See?", Anna speaks when Elsa stops in front of her, "He's great!"

"Yeah…", Elsa kisses the small forehead in front of her. She notices Anna watching them, "You deserve answers."

The shorter woman shakes her head.

"Not now. Let's get you to bed."

Before she turns around to leave, though, a cold palm rests on the back of her shoulder, bringing her forth against Ansel, sandwiching the baby boy as Elsa gets the three of them in a hug.

Anna thanks all her ancestors for granting her strong teeth otherwise she'd be toothless due to how hard she was clenching her jaw, confining in her guts the weirdest noise she ever produced.

-x-

The midday sun shone in through the curtains of Elsa's bedroom window. Anna drapes an arm over her morning eyes to shelter them.

Last night Anna put her old bike in the back of Marshmallow's car and Elsa drove them all back to her apartment. In a sign of respect, Anna got one of the man's shirts that didn't smell and wore it to sleep with Elsa and Ansel, since the blonde couldn't stay away from the boy for a while, which was understandable.

Elsa's canopy bed was large, accommodating the three very well, but that didn't change the outcome of Anna finding Ansel on top of her and Elsa discreetly holding her forearm, sending a cool sensation through her skin.

Anna couldn't help but be struck by Elsa's beauty. Even sleeping the blonde was flawless, almost ethereal.

"You are staring", Elsa mumbles.

"S- Sorry."

The blonde shakes her head and smiles at her friend. It didn't take long to the smile disappear, being replaced by pursed lips.

"This is what I do. I had always done this, ever since I was little", she looks down, "Whenever I had overheard my parents fighting, I would hide away in my room, bury myself into a pillow, drive myself to dreamland. It was the only thing that made me felel better; the only way I would let myself heal. Because at some point you slept so much that things are gone… people are gone", she feels Anna caressing her hand that has been holding them together, and she sighs.

"Is Ansel your brother?", the redhead whispers and receives a nod as response, "Where are your parents, Elsa?"

The blonde stiffens and Anna pondered if she had trespassed some boundary she wasn't aware of. She pondered saying sorry and moving to another subject. But she didn't do so.

As Elsa said the night before, she deserves answers.

"Elsa?", she repeated.

"Car accident", she continued when color vanished from Anna's face, "My mother is… _was_ an intelligent woman. My father never accepted she had courage to leave him. He locked me up so I wouldn't make the same 'mistake'. I moved with Marsh before the whole mess happened. I was tired of him locking me away in my teens. He made me lose contact with my mama", her voice trembled but she didn't let Anna comfort her. She needed to put that out of her chest, "I wasn't even aware she got pregnant, Gods… she lost the baby the first time, and I wasn't by her side…"

Anna was quietly listening to everything she's being told. The girl noticed thinking about Elsa's father made her face contorts in a way she's never seen those gentle features before. Thinking about her mother, though… She squeezes the pale hand now intertwined with hers to show support.

"Less than a year ago I got a call from Kai, my godfather, saying my parents…", her voice's stolen away by the end of the sentence. She tries again, "I couldn't even see them at the morgue. They were... They..."

"What about Ansel's skin?", they had to move on. Both knew finishing that sentence wasn't necessary.

"My mother and he were thrown out of the car. It was winter. She sheltered him from the snow but the rescue took too long to find them and his skin got frostbitten."

Anna looked at the blonde, all curled up beside her. So fragile. She surely would break down after opening such wound, exposing herself so much.

"Elsa, I am so sorry. You deserved none of that."

"It doesn't matter anymore."

The blonde was shutting herself inside her shell again. Anna has understood by now the behavior was involuntary but it didn't make it less irritable. She let go of Elsa's hand and Ansel protested slightly when his human mattress moved without his permission.

"You don't need to be strong in front of me", Anna chided the blonde. They were now facing each other.

_No need to be strong…_, teal eyes never leaving her own. Elsa looked into them for a while, looking for any trace of pretention in them; she found none. Those eyes were as pure as their owner.

"…no need to conceal?", she whispered.

"No need to conceal."

Anna offered the gentlest smile she could form.

Elsa cried and sobbed for maybe hours, tugging at the Mighty Ducks hockey shirt the redhead was wearing.

-x-

The girls decided to get up and walk to a park near Elsa and Marsh's building to get some fresh air. The park consisted almost entirely of mature trees rising out of turf where visitors could lay down blankets and sunbathe or have picnics – they chose the latter for that sunny afternoon. After a quick shopping in the nearest grocery store, Anna was now unfolding their big green and white blanket, masterfully placing it on a spot right beside a bunch of daisies.

After a half an hour long peek-a-boo session with Ansel, Anna spread herself on the cloth, stretching her back. She and Ansel yawned at the same time, making Elsa hold a giggle not to disturb them. The blonde was wearing casual clothes today - a red tank top and black capris with sandals while Anna decided to go out with the light pink dungaree and flip flops she left at the apartment one of those days.

Elsa retrieved a baby bottle from the basket, letting some drops of milk fall on her skin so she could check its temperature before handing it to Ansel who gladly started to drink the bottle content with passion. The youngest of the girls sat up and shove her hands into the basket to grab a sandwich. She stopped before the first bite when a middle-aged couple murmured something about how beautiful it is to see a mother spending time outside with her offspring.

Anna got concerned at people assuming Elsa was a mother. She worried the blonde would feel uncomfortable in the middle of the picnic they happily agreed on doing. Suddenly, however, the ginger heard a chuckle.

"I don't want to be seen as a mother", Elsa says, "but I wonder if I ever acted like a sister."

The girls shared a cheerful laugh. Anna smiles at the blonde now patting Ansel's back, remembering the first time she saw her sleeping beauty of a friend laugh not hidden behind long pale fingers. They've come so far since Elsa attacked her with pillows and cushions.

But they can go farther.

"I can't say for sure… but I know you're doing great, Els."

A faint shade of red rises on Elsa's cheeks, taken aback by hearing the term of endearment she only allows Marsh to use coming out of someone else's mouth. The nickname sounded so good in that someone else's voice the blonde agreed it was time to let another person calls her that.

* * *

_"Els" - well, that's some big step taken, isn't it? If I'm not too busy until the middle of the week, I'll update on Wed. Expect a new chapter on Saturday, though. On Sat I'mma update the story for sure. Ah, being a wannabe adult... cheer for me..._


	14. 14

_chapter 14_

* * *

"I am glad everyone managed to get here", Anna says.

In front of Anna, sitting in a big wooden table were all the crew from Bjorgman's, including the bulky blonde who opened his mouth to complain.

"Anna, this is my pub. Some of us even _sleep_ here", he points at the drunk old man with red nose sleeping in the far back.

"Whatever, Christopher", he tried to correct her but she kept talking, "I called you all to ask for a favor."

Everyone got silent. Anna was their feisty pants (even though she begged them not to make this her nickname). Someone who loves to joke around, not make serious decisions.

If she's asking them to help her, something serious is going on.

"Is it about Kitten?", Ralph, the big man wearing an orange shirt and worn out dungaree spoke from the far end of the table.

Anna nodded.

She couldn't talk about Elsa's brother and the secret the blonde confined to Anna about Kai willing to give up Ansel's custody if he saw she changed and was able to take care of a child.

They were walking back from the park when Elsa mentioned it and the redhead knew she had to do something to help but be careful not to screw everything. The pub crew and she talked for an hour until they set up a plan – the perfect plan.

_Well, as perfect as it could come out of a bunch of alcoholic dorks_, the redhead chortled.

"Hey."

She looked back. His blond friend just came out of his pub with a paper bag in hands.

"You ate nothing today, did you?", he handed the bag as the girl's stomach made a noise just in time.

"Geez… thanks, Kristoff."

They sat on the sidewalk and shared the sandwich that was in the bag. When Anna was ready to eat the last bite of her half, the blond cleared his throat, ending their friendly silence.

"I think most of them", he pointed to the pub with his thumb, "were too hung-over to notice but I did notice you were very vague about this whole Elsa thing."

He chuckled when his friend stayed quiet, "No need to tell me more. Seriously, I'm ok with your judgment. If she needs help, all of us are going to help her out with… whatever", he chuckles again and looks at the nervous ginger, "I'm glad Kitten has someone like you to take care of her."

Anna knew that wasn't everything he was about to say, so she busies herself with the piece of sandwich.

"Wish you had someone to take care of you, too."

"I take care of myself, you know."

"Yeah, right", he says whilst scratches the back of his neck, "I was just saying."

Anna nods, _yeah..._

-x-

"You left early today", Elsa said.

They've been riding for ten minutes now and Anna assumed the blonde was still asleep. She gladly managed to hide her surprise when that minty breath hit her senses from behind.

"Yeah, yes. I had to go to the place I'm taking you."

"Oh?"

She nodded.

"And you're not telling me why you went there – wherever it is – without me?"

"Nope!"

Anna glanced back and found a pouting Elsa. An _adorable_ pouting Elsa.

"We'll be there in a few minutes, Els. I promise I won't torture ya much longer. Just relax."

"Hm. I trust you", the blonde rests her head on her biker friend's back.

Since the crying outburst days ago, and after daring to be more intimate by using a slightly shortened version of Elsa's name, the blonde seems to be trying to be more open, friendly. And maybe because Anna's never had such gorgeous as a friend, all the caring moments were driving her mind crazy. If it was Kristoff or any of the guys doing that… not that they weren't beautiful but Anna never thought of them as boyfriend material as she did to Elsa. _Wait, Els is a girl. The fuck, Anna._ The shorter woman never had thought yet never discarded the possibility of thinking about girlfriend material.

Elsa came into her life and her mind has been put into an emotional rollercoaster. Simple things as what's between someone's legs became a ridiculous matter.

"I'd hug you right now, but I gotta ride us to our destination safely. Remind me to give ya one later", the redhead gave the blonde a crooked smile over her shoulder and received a gentle squeeze on her sides.

They rode for more twelve minutes, Elsa finally recognizing the surroundings.

"Ok. I'll pretend to be surprised to avoid hurting your feelings."

"Oh, shush you."

When they entered in the pub, Elsa gasped at the new decoration. Balloons were messily spread around the dance floor and hanging above the counter where the blond barkeeper was preparing some colorful mixes. Gothi stopped his way down a ladder.

WELCOME BAK KITCHEN

"Kitchen… Dudes, don't you even know how to spell?", Anna brought her hands up to cover her ashamed face. The girl didn't notice her friend rigid as a stone beside her. The archer redhead wrapped an arm around Elsa, walking her to the counter.

"We're glad you're ok again!"

The blond offered her a sincere smile.

Many men and women Elsa always saw at the pub but never had the chance to properly talk to came by to greet her, welcome her back, make fun of Anna for messing up – even though they didn't know the actual reason, they all felt how broken the ginger was when her platinum blonde friend shut her out. A guilty feeling pinched her insides for not knowing she's hurt Anna that much but it vanished as soon as Anna sent her the happiest, most triumphant grin she's ever seen in those pearly teeth.

"I know they can be a pain sometimes", Anna laughed nervously, "but they like you, Els… j- just like I do", blue eyes widened and the girl rushed to complete the sentence, "because we're friends and I like you, of course. Friends like each other."

_Great, Anna. Keep saying "friends" to make things weirder._

Gentle, cold fingers wrapped themselves around Anna's warm wrist, grabbing her attention. Anna is so easy to read; the blonde could not know what it was about but she's sure the redhead was out of this world debating something.

"Thank you, Anna", she said and locked eyes with her, "I loved it."

Trying not to become a puddle, Anna enjoyed with Elsa and everybody else some rounds of whatever Kristoff was preparing before Marshmallow joined the crew after work. The blonde noticed then that Marsh probably has been visiting the place more often than she thought due to how close the crew and he were at this point. And she was happy. She was glad to see her shut-in personality didn't affect her best friend. Elsa was glad he could be happy.

The tall girl looked around, listening to the happy background music, almost savoring the joy exhaling from her friends' banters and body-surfing.

_Friends._

A certain ginger wearing a light green knee shorts, gray beanie and a black jacket came into view. In less than six months the freckled spitfire turned her world upside down, back and forth, twisting it sometimes not so pleasantly but all she got from her was a huge grin, a friendly _I'm right here_ or whatever the blonde needed. Nights ago she needed someone to rely on, to break down – and Anna complied. Anna held her as she cried her eyes out and they never talked about it afterwards. Anna never tried to put her finger in it.

What Elsa didn't notice lost in thoughts was teal eyes on her, watching the way she smiled and held back a laugh when somebody did something dumb. Anna loved watching Elsa, witnessing her friend slowly blooms.

Marshmallow asked Anna to join him and a bunch of other large boys in a Monopoly game – _we're such grown-ups_ – but her leather jacket was tugged, keeping her in place. Cyan blue eyes were lost, _annoyed_, and her grip was practically tearing the fabric of Anna's garment apart.

"What's up?", she whispered. Elsa didn't need to answer because a silky voice hit her ears across the pub.

"I caught you and you're not going to _thank_ me?"

A well-built good looking guy, sideburns properly trimmed, wearing navy blue trousers, white polo shirt and black combat boots marched towards the snooker table Anna and now Elsa were leaning on.

Anna clenched her jaw as she spotted his green eyes on her blonde friend as if she was a prey, a prize to be conquered.

"Hans", she hissed.

The young man turned on his heels, "Ah! If it isn't the misfit", his comment enticed laughs and chuckles from the copper heads behind him.

"W- What are you doing here?"

"Whatever the hell I want, dear", he answers. That fucking silky voice again as he looks towards Elsa, "But now I'm trying to get a 'thank you' from this blondie. I saved her life."

Anna snorted – snorted loud. Loud enough to grab some attention.

"Playing Prince Charming again, eh. It's getting old."

Hans' eyebrows arched in amusement.

"Getting old?", he smiled, "You speak as though I had to act charming to get inside your pants."

Blood vanished from Anna's features. Some people covered their mouths, not believing what the unknown visitor had just said. He continues.

"I treated you well", he chuckled, "and you were so desperate for love, you were willing to let me fuck you just like that!"

The male group started to laugh, exchanging lame jokes about redheads as if they weren't redheads themselves.

Anna thought Hans was a scar, not an open wound. The man's reminder of how reckless and fool she was when younger was like squeezing lemon on a deep cut and rubbing salt in it. The man seemed to drool over how tasty the treat was.

The strawberry blonde crosses her arms in front of her chest and frowns.

"You can't hurt me", she says, not willing to let him feel how fragile she was at the moment.

"Oh…", he smirks, "I already have."

Moonlight strands of hair brushed her freckled nose when the said woman was no longer holding her jacket, turned around.

Anna was too defeated to ask Elsa to walk to wherever she was planning to go using another path so she wouldn't be bothered by the gallant man. Kristoff's hand rested on her shoulders when he spoke, "Yeah, go way! You are not welcome he- Holy _shit!_"

Everyone's eyes lay on the scene in front of them. It was like time slowed down; a small hand in a fist moved through air, defying physics laws by occupying the same space a pointy noise did; orange-ish short hair messily flying back – well, a whole _body_ flying back with the violent contact of a sucker punch – as the man's nape finally reached the surface of a wooden table, scattering giant beer mugs on the drinkers' lap and the floor.

One of the drinkers, a large man with thick goatee, dark ponytails, wearing a horned helmet scanned the table, looking for something. He gasped. There were tiny pieces of white ceramic falling from the flying douchebag's hair, a unicorn horn remained intact. His thin lips quivered. Hans swallowed hard at the large man's menacing look.

"_WARRRRRR!_"

The roar reverberated as a horn signal at open battlefield; and a battlefield the pub became as Anna quickly crawled under the tables, jumping at the side of a stunned Elsa while Marshmallow shielded them from any thrown object until the exit door in the back of the establishment. Having his girls safe, the big man roared back to the brawl.

-x-

_What has gotten into me?_

Elsa weaved her fingers through her long bangs. She's been pacing in the kitchen for quite a while now, this question hovering inside her head.

She couldn't remember clearly what actually happened. She was contemplating the idea of having friends, of finally giving a chance to the world again; someone bumped into her and masterfully caught her right after. But the hand of her savior lasted too long on her lower back. _I'm fine_, she said. But the man wasn't satisfied by knowing he hadn't hurt her. She stood up from her captive seat, tried to mingle into the crowd but found herself clinging on a cheerful redhead almost instantly. It was bad luck having them to be acquaintances but he dared to bully Anna – he dared to make those aqua candy eyes glisten with _tears_.

The blonde saw red. Her legs moved on their own. It was her friend, for goodness' sake! She thought about slapping the rude boy, slap him hard, but her hand balled into a fist and before she could stop herself Hans flew back right down on a table and the pub crew ran amok.

She's been friends with Marsh for years and before him there weren't actual friends in her life. She didn't know friends could feel such rage, such desire of sheltering their important ones.

A warm hand reached over her sore knuckles.

"Can't sleep?"

Anna was wearing one ridiculously oversized shirts of Marsh again. That night was purple and it looked perfect with her messy, fiery mane. She gently rubbed Elsa's hand with the pad of her thumb whilst examining it.

"Does it hurt?"

"It just… throbs a little". _Liar_. It actually hurt a lot. Elsa has never hit someone. She was glad Anna accepted her lie.

"That's impressive", the shorter woman says, surprised, "Hans has a thick skull. Rapunzel almost broke a finger."

"She punched him, too?"

Anna chuckled, "Yeah. He has a problem with blondes."

They giggle. The redhead kept checking on the pale hand between her fingers, not knowing what to do, what to say. She was sorry for setting up a scene in which Elsa ended up angry to the point of being violent, but at the same time she was so flattered by Elsa protecting her.

"Do you want to cook?"

She looked up, "What?"

"Marsh's a heavy sleeper. He wouldn't wake up even if a chopper fell in his room. Come."

It was past three in the morning, none of them sleepy at the slightest. Anna and Elsa were laughing as quietly as they could while the oven did its job. Anna sipped the strawberry fruity beer she found in the bottom of the fridge and handed the bottle to Elsa.

"We should open a deli or café type of restaurant", the redhead inhaled deeply, "We rock this shit."

The blonde nodded, proud of what they're cooking. It was a sweet and delightful treat she learned when she occupied herself with TV shows after her parents' death. The oven beeped; she leaned down to retrieve the tray and placed it on the wooden counter. She could see Anna giving her best not to assault the baked meringues. When they weren't warm anymore, Elsa held one of them in front of her friend's face. The shorter woman looked at the treat, then at Elsa and back to the treat, gingerly biting half of it. It was so delicate and sweet her eyes shot open and closed in pleasure.

"No need to applause", Elsa smirked at the speechless girl and bit the other half, "I'm going to blush."

Anna smirked back, grabbing another baked meringue from the tray, "Aren't ya sassier lately? Not that I mind, really! …I like it."

Anna was suddenly aware of how close they were and of how stunningly beautiful Elsa looked in pajamas. Her breath quickened as she gazed into the other girl's blue eyes, they were so _luring…_

But she couldn't fuck this up.

"I, ah…", she pointed to the living room, "couch, you know. It's, like, four. So, hm, rest my eyes."

Anna turns around, not letting Elsa answers back. _Fuck, I can't even form a decent sentence when I'm nervous… _She was close to the sofa full of cushions when Elsa's hand reached hers. She slowly looked back to find a pair of hopeful eyes and flushed cheeks. The blonde wanted to let her know she did not need to sleep on the couch anymore.

Anna was home.

The ginger smiled and let Elsa take the lead.


	15. 15

_chapter 15_

* * *

Kristoff, Gothi, Vladimir, Sven and the rest of pub crew, all patched up with Band-Aids, lying on a fancy polished counter. A bruised Merida, having Ralph as the judge, was arm-wrestling with Rapunzel, who was the only one intact since she missed yesterday's fun.

"I can't believe you guys destroyed my pub."

They all looked at the blond.

"...I just paid it off", he nervously messed his golden head, "This whole thing has ruined me for helping anyone ever again", he glares at Anna, who sticks her tongue out.

"But you were the one who told us to throw the chairs at the pampered boys", Ralph snuck into the conversation.

Kristoff frowned, deeply thinking.

"Yeah", he chuckled, "I did!"

Everyone shared a good laugh. After Anna and Elsa left the saloon, the rest of the crew engaged in a wild fight against Hans and his twelve buddies. They fought their way to victory but breaking Vladimir's ceramic unicorns isn't something mere human beings are allowed to do and survive. Blood was shed and windows were broken until the male redheads found their way out of the pub, leaving Kristoff shocked by the mess he and his clients have made. The reform would last three weeks at least and in the meantime they'd have to move their butts to another place.

When Anna passed by that morning to check on the boys she found a plaque letting any unaware client know they would be closed and that they headed to a certain tap house nearby. The ginger dragged Elsa out (and would drag Marshmallow at night) to check the establishment Ralph suggested.

The place was beautiful. A fancy tap house that seemed to be sculpted out of the ginormous rock wall in the city limits, furnished with the finest wooden and leather furniture. The polished counter they were lying against ran through the saloon extension, ending at the small low tables with cushions around for a more intimate gathering, just like Elsa and Marshmallow's balcony, but there was no daybed. Mentioned blonde was sitting on a table with a generous amount of everything the tap house owner found that could be a breakfast. Anna got her out of her bed too early (read _before one in the afternoon_) promising she would treat her with breakfast in wherever they were heading to.

However, none of this mattered to her.

Her mind was trapped in the events of the previous night. Cooking with Anna wasn't new – they've cook together many times before that night whenever Elsa managed to wake up at the same time Anna was gathering the items to play in the kitchen. But a spatula in one hand and a bottle of Fruli in the other at three in the morning was a combination they'd never tried before.

Elsa never imagined someone could be so cute with the hair down and a simple wrinkled loose shirt. She couldn't get out of her system how _perfect_ purple, one of her favorite colors, was on Anna. Orange, purple and green were so beautiful together.

She buries her face in both hands.

Maybe it was the alcohol's fault. Maybe deep inside that's always been there.

_That._

Elsa didn't know. What she does know is that her mind was chaotic after punching Hans straight in the face, after feeling her friend being hurt. Spending some bonding time with her and having the ginger so close undid her in ways she couldn't explain yet. But she needed to know.

_What is Anna?_, she frowns, _What is this...?_

The freckled girl cut off whatever was going to happen between them when Elsa bantered in the kitchen. A mix of satisfaction and deep frustration wrapped her core when Anna's taken a step back, heading to the couch, hewing the warm sensation the blonde was feeling just by the sheer presence of her friend so close to her. Elsa grabbed the other woman's hand in reflex and didn't let go of it until they reached her bedroom. Once Anna was surely asleep, Elsa leaned in closer to the younger girl, just like the morning the redhead held her as she cried.

Good thing Anna is a messy sleeper and Elsa eventually had to scoot to the edge of the mattress during the night.

Anna got closer, taking the blonde away from her reveries.

"Enjoying the food?", she looked down and saw the dish was practically untouched, "I see not."

Elsa shook her head. She was hungry, yes, but she'd rather spend her time burning her screws to figure out what she's feeling than eating. And the proffered meal was _huge_. Anna took a seat beside her friend and helped her finish the super breakfast. In the end Anna was the one who ate the most since the blonde was too busy internally freaking out because they were too close and there was no alcohol to help her.

"Hey, Els", she got an 'hm' as answer, "Are you free this afternoon?"

The blonde nodded, "Why do you ask?"

"Uh, well…"

-x-

"What is that object?", Anna said. All little humans in front of her looked at the object she was pointing at.

"That is not an object. It flies. It is an airplane. It is my airplane", Elsa softened her voice tone and looked at their audience, "And I was proud to have him learn that I could fly."

"Whaaaaat!", Anna cried out, "Dude! You dropped down from the _sky?_"

The last bit made everybody laughs.

Hours ago Anna let the blonde know she volunteered herself to read at the public library downtown, and she needed someone to go with her. Kristoff was her other option but the ginger thought two girls would be better for some reason Elsa was still too sleepy to comprehend. Friends do things together so Elsa accepted it – it was part of social interactions she never missed but it was for the sake of the friendship Anna and she were building. Late afternoon came and they drove to the antique building. Their reading groups consisted of a dozen of children inside a small room the library staff booked to the reading session. Everything was going all right. The children were nice and eager to listen to a good story.

Minutes before an old lady brought the kids to the room, Elsa hurried to choose a book on the shelf at her right. She turned around to show to Anna the ones she found suitable but dropped them in the process.

Anna wears glasses and the blonde's heart wasn't prepared for that.

She managed to hide it, though, by focusing on the book they ended up picking - _The Little Prince_. Elsa was the narrator, aka pilot, while Anna was the little boy who gives name to the book, and, of course, had to sneak her antics into their dynamics.

The tall girl threw one of the colorful cushions spread all over the room at the strawberry blonde just like she used to do when the Anna was only an unwanted visitor.

"Little Prince does not talk like that, Miss Anna!", she reprehended.

"But Miss Elsa, I just made things cooler!"

The statement drew another round of laughs from the kids.

They finished the book's third chapter and the curious bunch of young adults spying on them got in and took their children home.

The two friends were left alone, making sure the place was tidy when the staff arrived to check on them. Elsa did most of the cleaning work because her friend was engrossed in the book they read minutes ago.

"Have you read this before?", the blonde sat beside Anna again.

"Yeah…" she answered after taking her glasses off to see the yellow pages full of drawings, "It's one of my favorite books."

"Really?"

Anna nodded, "It's interesting how I understand things differently every time I read again", she chuckled, embarrassed of what she's about to say, "To be honest, I read this book every few years to see what it has to tell me."

Elsa hugged her legs. She felt bad for spacing out in the middle of the lecture Anna was suddenly giving about being adult and losing the simplicity of a child's perspective, but her mind was too messed up to give a crap about a boa constrictor digesting an elephant – _no offense, Anna_.

The afternoon they've just spent was really pleasant. It seemed the children enjoyed the session very much. And Elsa wasn't the only one surprised at their activity since she spotted Gothi sneaking in and taking pictures, probably to tease Anna later. Talking about her, she was incredible at depicting the character's personality and Elsa couldn't be humble enough to deny she was doing a good job, too. She wondered if Ansel would enjoy her reading to him when he finally understands what she's saying.

But not only the afternoon, the days that followed her emotional outburst in her bed – no, after Anna actually going to her rescue at the hospital; _that_ was the moment Elsa's trust in Anna truly broke free from the apprehension she hardened her life with.

The platinum blonde watched Anna lean in to get a better look at the drawings. The constellation of freckles inhabiting the girls' cheeks was so very close. A thought came to her; was kissing Anna the same thing as kissing Marsh? Because she kisses him when she's awake and he's leaving for work, he kisses her good night when she falls asleep on the couch. But what was like kissing a female? The only women she's ever kissed on the cheek were her mother and grandma. It was all right. Nothing special. It sort of became a habit.

And there Anna was. So ready to be kissed. Those curious eyes, peppered cheeks…

"There you are!"

Both girls looked at the door. Their blond friend leaned his front on the door frame and sent a bright smile to them.

Well, to Anna.

"Oh, hi, Elsa", he waved his hand.

The blonde raises an eyebrow. So he actually remembers her name. _Guess the kitten thing is in the pub only. _She decided waving her hand would be polite enough.

"What are you doing here?", Anna questioned.

"You told me you were coming here. Since you didn't answer your phone I decided to come and pick you up."

The blonde looked at Anna and finally spoke, "Pick you up?"

Kristoff walked in and helped the redhead stand up. He offered his hand to Elsa but she dismissed gently, not peeling her eyes off her friend.

"Yeah, hm, a movie I'm dying to watch is out and he offered to take me to the movies."

"You never told me you wanted to go to the movies."

"You airhead", he jested and mussed Anna's hair.

Anna and Kristoff joked for a few while in their own little world as Elsa stood there watching two friends banter. The blonde wasn't sure if Anna was truly comfortable with the blond's closeness but she wasn't trying to pull him away either. The strawberry blonde was a big girl already. Punching Hans had reached Elsa's overprotective quota.

But Elsa's never seen them so close. Was it because they only met at the pub, where he needs to be the owner, not the friend? Not that this held him back from helping his clients to break his establishment.

Anna's voice took Elsa from her thoughts.

"You want to come with us?", she smiled sheepishly, "I'm not sure if you're going to enjoy all the cheesiness but if you wanna try…"

The moment Anna invited Elsa the blonde spotted Kristoff slightly frowning. Anna probably was too dense to understand he was trying to have a date with her. Poor boy. Elsa shook her head and gave a light peck on the freckled cheek she's been staring at for a good two minutes before walking to the corridor.

"I'm going to get some hot chocolate and leave as well."

The redhead tried to say something but words couldn't get out of her trembling mouth. She didn't know if it was wise to smile at a simple kiss. But it was a kiss – what was there not to smile for?

"Bye, Elsa!", Kristoff waved his hand once again and rested it on her friend's tiny shoulder, "So, Anna, shall we?"

Anna watched the blonde leaving. Elsa chuckled when Kristoff tried to shake the ginger off her reverie and decided to take her leave, smiling at her through the glass window and catching her smiling back.

-x-

"I think I'm going have diabetes or have a big headache."

Anna and Kristoff were in the back of a theater room so they could joke and laugh without annoying the others watching the romance movie. At least that was what the blond planned when he took them to the back of the place. One hour in the movie and his redhead company hasn't spoken more than a few words, most of them polite answers to his silly jokes.

He moved in his seat, facing Anna the best he could in the poor illuminated room.

"I thought you didn't mind watching the movie with me."

That made her snap out of her own mind. She looked at him, confused, "What do you mean?"

"You're somewhere else, Anna", he sighs, "Am I bothering you?"

"No!", an old lady in one of the front rows looked back at the couple and Anna tried to keep her voice down, "No, Kristoff. I am the problem. My mind's full with stuff."

"That's new", she shot him a glare and he giggles, "If you want we can leave."

"No, I'm going to watch the movie till it's over."

They heard an elated someone clapping their hands and the big screen turned dark gray. Yellow letters sliding from the top to the bottom.

"Well, shit. You just did."

The muscular blond slid an arm around her, bringing her closer.

"Let's eat something."

The young woman cringes when her cheek is pressed against his chest, "Kristoff, let's not."

"C'mon, my treat! I'm sure you're hungry."

"No, I mean…", she scoots back, "let's… not."

Kristoff arches his eyebrows and then pouts, "Are you with someone?"

_My mind is._

"No."

"So why can't we try?", he smiles, "I won't treat you like that Hans guy did, if that's what you fear."

She frowned at the mention of Hans. Anna doesn't like people talking about him, bringing back the topic of being used by the douche. But it was Kristoff and she knew the guy means well.

"We match, you know", he says, "We're dorks and not refined – wait, no. I mean it in a good way. You're cute, like, wow, but we had a great time in the burping competition, didn't we?", Anna giggles and he smiles, "To be honest, I saw you were the one that night. I'd like to. I - may I? We me? I mean, may we?"

-x-

She got in the house silently, trying not to wake up anyone. Shoes left at the bottom of the stairs, body sliding along with the railing. She takes her phone off her hoodie when she reaches the second floor and walks to a specific door.

"Hey", Anna jumps on the waterbed, body bouncing as it hits the mattress, "You busy?"

"_Not at all."_

"Oh, good."

Silence.

"_So…?"_

"I don't know", she bites her lip, "I just felt like chatting."

Anna listens to the blonde's amused _uh-huh _and knows the blonde isn't falling for her lie.

"_How was the hang out?"_

"Meh."

"_Didn't Kristoff treat you well?"_

"Oh, he did. He was nice… too nice."

"_What do you mean by 'too nice'?"_

The ginger smirks even though she knew Elsa couldn't see it as the woman's voice perks up, "Calm down, wild cat. There will be no need to punch another guy for me."

"_I- I'm serious, Anna!"_

"I know", she giggles, "but don't worry. It's just Kristoff, after all."

"_But he's a guy nonetheless. I only trust Marshmallow."_

Teal eyes shot open as their owner sat astonished, "Holy shit."

"_What."_

"You just called Marsh Marshmallow."

"_I didn't."_

"Yes, you did."

"_I'm quite sure about the things I say. And I did not call Marshmallow like that."_

"Ha!", she covers her mouth with a hand, afraid she woke up the other person in the house.

Elsa groans slightly and starts talking about something else. Anna checked the alarm clock and it wasn't midnight yet but now _2:45_ was displayed in glowing green numbers in a black square background.

"Sorry, Els", she says after the blonde yawned.

"_Sorry for what?"_

"It's almost three and I keep rambling."

"_I'm talking too, you know"_, they share a tired laugh, _"but we had a long day. We should rest."_

Something inside Anna stirs at the imminent call end. They've been talking for hours now and she hasn't had yet the guts to tell three words – three simple words; the only words she wanted to say when she dialed Elsa's number.

"I missed you", she buried herself in her pillow.

"_We spent the afternoon together, remember?"_, came Elsa's gentle voice.

"I- I know that", the ginger says, squinting her eyes as if hit by an arrow, "I meant I missed you tonight."

"_I'm not a big fan of being the third-wheel, you know."_

The once gentle voice becomes bitter in the blink of an eye, startling the redhead.

"Wait what? That wasn't a date!", she cries.

Elsa scoffs slightly, _"Right."_

"No!"; Anna could feel Elsa's disbelief. And then she remembers she never openly talked about having a crush on the platinum blonde. Of course the Elsa would assume she's having something with Kristoff. Going to the movies, just the two of them, _seriously, Anna?_

She grunts and continues, "Kristoff is a kind guy. I was his first customer. He's gentle, funny, too…"

"_A good date, then."_

"What I mean _is_", she continues, ignoring the blonde's remark, "he's a great friend. I don't think I can see him as something more than a big brother."

"_Are you certain?"_

"Yes, I'm certain."

"_I see."_

They fall in an awkward silence for a moment, Anna feeling like she just escaped from an Inquisition. Suddenly, Elsa broke the silence.

"_Sleep well, Anna."_

"Goo- G'night, Els."

As soon as they hang up, Anna's phone falls on her lap and she stares at the ceiling.

"The fuck just happened?"

* * *

_Phew! Biggest chapter so far, I guess. Elsa and Rapunzel live in apartments, not houses. Just saying. Anyways, thank you for the reviews. They made me happyand motivate me. I apologize if I haven't answered some by mistake. See you on Sat?_


	16. 16

_chapter 16_

* * *

_I'll just leave this here._

* * *

Anna found the last week reading session successful, to say the least. The kids adored her and she adored the kiss she received. If she hadn't drooled so much after their call, she would have never washed her face.

Now that she got rid of the mark the blonde left on her, she needed a new one.

Anna mentioned an NGO were about to donate animals at the park they hung out with Ansel weeks ago. Since all help is welcome in this kind of event, the ginger invited Elsa to help her – and Elsa accepted right away. She was truly willing to change, truly willing to keep the bond they were forging safe.

But the blonde was very far away that day. All attempts from Anna to get a physical reward from her were fruitless. The only moment Elsa seemed not to be spacing out was when she spotted the pub crew walking around the area the group set up the donation tents. Kristoff spent some time talking to Anna and then he and Merida dragged both to the critters' cages and made all of them take pictures with the furry buddies waiting for a new human to love them. Elsa found it odd but oh well, aren't all of them _odd?_

The afternoon came to an end. No kisses (_or hugs… anything!_) earned. Anna practically crawled their way back to Elsa's apartment. It sort of became part of their routine whenever they go out, Anna would walk or ride Elsa home. Why? Now the redhead began to wonder if it was part of her unconsciously courting process.

'_Courting', oh my gosh, Anna. Get a hold of yourself!_

They came to a stop in front of the massive wooden door, Elsa fidgeting to find the right key to open the door – which gave Anna time to watch her mindlessly, wonder if there would be a goodbye kiss in the end of a productive day. She also wondered if she was putting too much thought in something as trivial as a kiss between friends. Yesterday Elsa wanted to show how grateful she was, how rewarding seeing all those kids smile at her was. No big deal. The redhead, however, would've never guessed how smooth and heart-warming the simple contact of someone else's lips on her cheek is.

_But it is not someone else…_, Anna watched the tall girl find the key, _it's someone elsa, hehe. You know, Elsa. Because her name and- _

"What is this smile for?", asked an also smiling blonde.

"Oh. Uh, nothing. I'm just glad it's over. I mean, don't get me wrong but that was strenuous."

Elsa nodded, "I share the feeling. But… are you too tired to come over at night?"

The strawberry blonde perks up, "At night?"

The blonde nodded again, biting her lip, "I don't know my way around town but I wanted to treat you dinner?"

"Oh", she smiles, "Count me in."

Elsa's shoulders finally relax as she let a breath she hasn't noticed she's been holding escape with a "good" afterwards.

"Seven?"

"Seven."

-x-

That was it. The leap of faith Elsa would have to take to understand what the heck is going on inside her head. She was attracted to Anna, yes; which was odd enough by itself. And now Kristoff had the _nerve_ to try something with her? Now of all times?

But can she risk the friendship they now share because of a curiosity? Because of a doubt of hers?

She couldn't deny what she felt when they were really close in the kitchen was carnal. That storm inside her stomach was _not_ natural. Marsh always hugs her and she feels nothing special beyond the friendship point. The difference is she knows Marsh more than anyone. Anna is… Anna. Does she have a background? Of course she does but Elsa does not know a thing about it.

_Come to think of it, how are we friends if we don't know about each other's life in a mutual basis? That matters, right?_

On the other side of town, Anna has reached Rapunzel's place. And as soon as she did it, she realized how hormonal teenager-ish she's been acting over a simple kiss on the cheek. The kiss wasn't the matter, though. The matter was her mind jumping to hot-hot-steamy thoughts whenever someone cares about her. Anna was struggling but her mind has been resilient about making her feel like a puppy in the hands of whoever smiles at her – just like she was with Hans in that regretful night. Not that Elsa was anything like Hans, no. Elsa is Elsa and that should be enough explanation.

_Elsa is single_, the redhead said to herself. She was fixing the party dress Rapunzel told her to wear. It might be a bit too much but who cares? Her outfit would finally match the expensiveness of that fancy apartment she grew so familiar with. _But being single doesn't mean she's available. Better saying, nothing means she's into girls._

She pressed the 14th floor button in the elevator.

She got out of the moving cubicle and into the hall she knew very much, _She's so focused on Ansel and this whole custody thing. Take it easy, Anna. Respect – truly respect – her space. Being friends is not a horrible thing_, she smiled,_ you even get some food for free._

"And there you are smiling by yourself… again", the blonde showed up out of nowhere, smirking.

"Heya", Anna replied and followed Elsa inside. It seems she's not as grumpy as in the afternoon. They were in the living room and the redhead could already smell what her friend had prepared.

"Salmon!?"

"Y- Yeah", the blonde spun around, "You know I am not the best cook – Marsh's the master here. He's out covering someone's shift, though, so I decided to make something you like with the fine items he bought."

She slid open the door that connects the apartment to the balcony and they were greeted by a cozy environment and…

"Sandwich!"

-x-

Anna didn't take long to devour the delicious sandwich Elsa prepared. And there they were… face to face. They couldn't find the words, blank minded. They've been together in that same apartment for so many weeks but having a _date_ there made the place completely alien. Not that they labeled the gathering a "date" but they two knew that was a date. At least, each one hopes the other knows that is what it is.

But they were Anna and Elsa. The friends Anna and Elsa. No doubt about that. Soon, they were lost in time, making their own lame jokes and laughing; which made the blue-eyed woman satisfied since the main goal of the dinner was talk things through between her heart and mind.

"…and then he spent all the money with ceramics. And he lost his truck!", Anna laughed out loud, "His truck! That's when we found out he had some, how do you say? Exquisite? Yeah, exquisite interests."

Elsa could barely breathe from all the laughing. But she needed to know more and took the end of Vlad's tale of self-discovery as a chance to pry.

"What about before that?"

"Before that we met Bishop. He was…"

"No", she shook her head, "Before meeting everyone, where have you been?"

"Around."

"Around… where?"

"Around here, like, this town. I never left the place since I moved when a kid."

"I see. And what did you do? Wait, what do you do for a living?", the blonde chuckled, "We know each other for almost half a year and all I know about you is that you sleep here or at Rapunzel's, and that you have fun at Bjorgman's."

"I… I don't know, Els. I do stuff when I need and I survive like that."

Elsa seemed to be getting frustrated by the redhead's evasive answers. Anna knew friendship is a give and take thing. The blonde has given some and what does she get from Anna? Nothing.

She ran her hands through her loose fiery ponytail.

"Alright…"

Elsa waits for her friend to open up. She seemed pretty engulfed in her thoughts, weighing the words she was about to utter.

"You noticed how close I am to Rapunzel, didn't you?", Elsa nodded, "That's because her father, my uncle, is my mother's brother."

The word "mother" struggled to come out of her mouth. Whatever happened in the past, whatever was about to be said, was no good. The blonde slowly moved to Anna's side since she wasn't looking at her at all; the low table suddenly became very interesting.

"I have no idea who my father is. All I know is…", she chuckled, "he asked her to abort but she didn't have the guts. She carried me for eight months and threw me at her bro's doorstep. I like to believe she meant well but I almost died outdoors."

Elsa stayed silent, aware that the reminiscence wasn't complete.

"Uncle took me to the hospital. The nurse who took care of me there was interested in adopting me. Uncle couldn't deny since he was a minor. As soon as he got married and had Punzel, though, the nurse and I became part of his family."

"You don't call her 'mother'", Elsa whispered.

"Because she is not", Anna quickly answered, exchanging a glance with the blonde, "I like her – don't get me wrong. But I feel like I have no connections; besides my cousin and Uncle and Auntie… but they all have their own connections. For the longest time I felt jealous of Rapunzel. She has everything I wanted. She's beautiful, she has a caring father and a loving mother… I mean, she _has _ parents. I used to think I was the extra button on a coat whenever the nurse and I would have lunch with them on Sundays. But that little button wanted to fly", she rubbed the back of her neck, "Now that I think about it, buttons can't fly, it doesn't make any sense!"

Elsa scooted closer, stroking Anna's back. The redhead might not have noticed but she was about to cry and the way she laughed was a raw sign of it.

"It's so beautiful, you know, seeing you and Ansel. I wish…"

The sentence pinched Elsa's heart. So that was why the ginger always gives a dreamy sigh and dons a dopey smile? And the blonde thought her clumsy friend was just a sucker for babies.

Anna began to hiccup, her whole body shaking. She always looks so cheerful and lively hanging out with Kristoff and the others. Who would have thought she was just as broken as Elsa? But then, aren't we all somehow cracked inside?

The taller woman brought a hand up to brush some loose strands of strawberry blonde hair behind a trembling ear. Clouded teal eyes finally meeting her own.

"You are beautiful to me."


	17. 17

_chapter 17_

* * *

Anna was coming back from her first day working at the diner in front of Marshmallow's workplace. Once she mentioned she wanted to get some cash, he gave his best to find a nice and safe job for place was nice and totally observable from Marsh's cash counter. If there's trouble, he'd see it coming.

She meant to tell Elsa the news last night… but things took a different course.

The messy, impromptu move became soft and warm – sweet, even. Just like she thought it would be.

But those roaming pale hands were totally out of place.

_Not that it was bad. Hng… _She knocked at the old door in front of her. The slightest opening between the door and its frame let Anna slam it open, getting a grunt from the honey blonde mess in front of her.

"Oh! Hi, Rapunzel", the blonde mimicked Anna's voice, "I am so sorry for waking you up that late at night. May I come in?", she returns to her voice, "Oh, yeah. Sure, cus."

Anna was already inside, kicking off her combat boots.

"Yeah, that too", she headed to the kitchen and stopped halfway to look at the blonde, "You're coming or not?"

"Ugh…", Rapunzel leaned over her rusty yellow refrigerator while Anna looked for something with a fuckton of calories to munch on. She picked a frozen pizza, a pot of ice cream, chips from the cabinet above her and whatever was that can on top of the counter.

The sleepy woman raised an eyebrow.

"Ginger."

"Hm", grunted the said ginger from her bent down position in front of said yellow refrigerator.

"What's up?"

Silence.

And then:

"Elsa and I kissed."

The blonde's eyes shot open.

"I'll go get the popcorn."

-x-

"Having fun reading for the kiddos?", Kristoff asked, enjoying his breath condensing as he speaks. His hands were shoved inside his winter coat pockets, only holding Anna's shoulders whenever they had to share the narrow sidewalk with other pedestrians. His small friend was more reckless than usual that afternoon.

"Yeah", she smiles, "Elsa's doing such a great job."

_Shit. _The strawberry blonde mentally cringes. Elsa really was everything in her head at the moment but she didn't want to blurt out the beautiful name in every occasion.

"I asked if _you_ are having fun doing something for the kids", the burly guy rumbles, "I never mentioned Elsa."

"Alright, touchy guy", she says rolling her eyes, "_I_ am having fun, yes. Thanks for asking."

They turned right and got to the library entrance. Anna climbs a few steps of the small stair before looking back to her blond friend fixing his gray bomber hat.

"Thanks for walking with me. I hope the pub gets patched up soon so you won't feel so miserably bored to walk me", she sticks her tongue out.

"Shut up. I'd gladly do this again. We're friends, right?"

Anna smiles. It makes her glad the guy took her rejection so easily. Kristoff and she can have fun, but that must not trespass the friendship line since her head is in another cloud.

Lost in her thoughts, Anna didn't see the man looking at the building's second floor. A platinum blonde with crossed arms was watching them for who knows how long.

"Uh, you better get in" he smirks, "I don't want you getting that runny nose again."

Teal eyes get wide and her dark red eyebrows knit together as she stomps on the pavement step.

"It happened only once!"

"And we don't want it to happen again!", he laughs and looks at that same window; the pale figure hadn't moved an inch.

The tall man leans over and kisses auburn tresses before placing his hat over them.

"Have fun, Anna."

"Thanks!"

-x-

Their readings were always lively, spirited, and that made them the obvious choice for the library's reading program for kids the following break period. Things got serious, they're now part of a true project and they would have to stop and take a minute to think about what to do to entertain children with busy parents and eager for adventures. Books would have to be chosen, so would some activities at random times to avoid boring the little listeners. Merida is good with children, Anna thought. She probably should call her sometime to give them a hand.

That morning, with popcorn and other junk foods in hands, the cousins buried themselves in the sofa, turned the TV on and started talking. Rapunzel wanted to know everything but the redhead didn't know what to say. She said it was sad, she said it was glorious. She felt so broken and exposed when she told Elsa about her deep past and suddenly her core was set on fire by soft lips touching, _kissing_ her dump lips.

What was that!?

Visiting Rapunzel was on purpose. Visiting Rapunzel was her way to avoid Elsa. Because Anna simply couldn't be sure if she was able to keep her hands _off_ that slim waist she held the night before. Anna didn't know if she could stand those slender fingers tugging at her pigtails as sweet words were whispered against her lips to comfort her from the emotional breakdown thinking about her childhood caused. In that moment, it was and wasn't Elsa at the same time.

"_So you guys are dating?", Rapunzel asked._

_The redhead shook her head slowly… What are they? What is Elsa to her? She felt loved by the blonde's attention but the kiss itself just made her burst with lust, and suffocated with lust she left the apartment, not remembering well what they talked about after Elsa retreated to her seat, taking away those lips that fitted so perfectly well into Anna's lips._

_The whole situation was surreal. Since when does Elsa feel something for her? Wait, does she?_

Anna thanked whatever divine force for making her own mind a not so fucked up one that restricts her in front of minors.

Thinking wasn't her forte. And the blonde with that sexy bun of hers was too much to focus on anything else. The kids were already gone and the staff let them use the room to figure the project out.

"What should we read next?", came the blonde's voice – the blonde's terribly jittery voice.

Anna couldn't help but shot her eyes open at the other woman. Then she noticed how white (well, abnormally white, that is) her chuckles were as she closed her hands together on her lap, how stiff was her posture, how tense was her jaw.

Elsa was as lost as she is. The thought comforted her somehow.

The strawberry blonde cleared her throat to catch Elsa's attention. It didn't work. She sighed, "Maybe we should talk about other things than books."

"We… we're here to- to work."

"Work's over, Els", she dead-panned, "And to be completely honest, I don't give a damn about books right now."

The platinum blonde heaves a deep sigh as she looks at the floor, fiddling with her pale hands. Anna captures Elsa's pinky and ring finger with her own.

"Can we talk about it?"

Elsa finally looks at her right; at first she eyes their fingers, then those sincere, calming teal eyes on her. The night they spent at the hospital flashes in her mind.

"_...just let me in a bit more."_

She sighs again.

"I'm sorry."

Anna releases her fingers as if her words were a whip on sore back. The blonde takes her wrist in a grip.

"Listen", she shakes her head in shame, "It was wrong. But not in the way your wild head might be thinking it was."

She fights the urge to pinch the pouting redhead's cheeks and continues, "I let the wrong feelings overflow."

"Wrong feelings?", Anna cries.

"Listen, Anna. You never listen", Elsa chides the girl, "I've- no, you. You were vulnerable last night and even though my mind told me to kiss you, that wasn't a nice way to comfort you. I shouldn't have-"

"Yes, you should."

Anna slides on her butt to get in front of the blue-eyed woman who stays quiet. Few words needed to be exchanged; they knew that. She didn't fight back the hand cupping her left cheek, the thumb stroking the light freckles below her big blue eyes. Taut nerves easing.

"Hey…", they look into each other's eyes, the ginger offering a timid smile, "I know you're confused – I can feel it. But you didn't use me."

"Anna, you don't un…", a warm index finger presses her lips together.

"Now _you_ listen. Only in my wildest dreams I could imagine you doing anything near kissing me. But yesterday was real, and I liked it."

"You did?", Elsa murmured against Anna's finger. She frowns, "Wait, you dreamt about that?"

"Shush! A- Anyway, as I was saying, you didn't use me. I wanted it as much as you did", she looked down, "And still do, I hope?"

"Anna…"

"Tell me to stop if you want me to."

Two pairs of soft lips reunited. It was real and it felt so good, so right. Anna retreated a bit to look at the blonde closing her eyes, melting in her hands. Their lips touched again, more fiercely, more passionate. Anna didn't notice when it happened but one of Elsa's hands was tugging her black t-shirt, forcing them to be closer. The other one slid up through her spine, reaching her bomber hat and yanking it off her head. Anna didn't understand but couldn't care less. A hint of tongue made clear that neither of them wanted to stop. The strawberry blonde tilted her head to welcome the velvety tongue asking for entrance. Tongues are tongues; others have kissed her like that before, but Elsa's tongue was so timid yet curious, and Anna's mouth was keen to let it explore.

When Elsa bit Anna's lip, life decided to be the bitch it sometimes is and reminded them of the place they were.

Well, it reminded _Anna_ at least.

She pulled apart with all the little willpower she possessed.

"Wow!"

"Wow yourself", the blonde nervously chuckled.

They looked at each other for a second. Lips were wet from the kiss and a crimson blush colored their faces.

It was awkward.

It was arousing.

But they were in a goddamn library.

Elsa leaned in close to her friend, foreheads connecting.

"What… is this?", she locks her gaze with Anna's. The shorter woman controlled her breath and spoke, "Do you care?".

Elsa smiles brightly.

"I don't."

* * *

_By the reviews, I noticed CLS has some loyal readers and that's so cute. Thanks, each one of you.  
_

_Funny thing about writing is that at some point the story speaks by itself. In this case tis saying "bitch, you better rewrite those files". I've written 5 more chapters but I'm not satisfied with them, and the characters are treading a path I haven't imagined they would so I'll hae to redo some stuff. Next semester is my last sem, so uni's being a bitch. I kindly ask y'all to wait another week before a new chapter is out, so I'll hae time to finish my papers and work on the story. Tis for the best. Thanks again._


	18. 18

_chapter 18_

* * *

It has been a week since the kiss at the library and things were going great. _Well,_ Anna looked at the rearview mirror, _it could be better but I always complain so… yeah, great._ Elsa and Anna are dating, after all. Things were discreet and slow, but they're evolving. The strawberry blonde, though, feels like they can be more. They always can be more.

Anna noticed that in those seven days spent as Elsa's, or even before when she made Elsa company in the hospital, she hasn't been sleeping naked. Of course the chilly weather has been helping her need for clothes increases. And it's good. It really is. She concluded if she's going to be naked, so is Elsa. Anna frowned, _not that I would know what to do…_

The blonde driver smiled, not taking her eyes off the road, "What's wrong?".

Anna didn't know how to approach neither did she know if she should do so. The logical part of her mind was practically yelling at her to hold back her hormones because all this is raw. Waking up next to Elsa was awesome. Kissing those soft lips being the first thing after opening her eyes isn't something she has found a proper adjective yet to describe. She wondered how long being in that friends with benefits zone would suffice. So, days ago, not to neglect her passionate side, which she _knows_ is the strongest side, the freckled woman set up a plan. She would clear things out with Elsa, take her in her life and then claim her.

_Woah, okay, "claim" is a bit too much_, she notices Elsa chanced a glance towards her, _shit, I should answer._

"I want to ask some stuff… about us? If you don't mind?"

"Sure. Shoot.", came Elsa's kind voice, eyes still on the road.

"Hm, so", she chewed her lower lip, "uh, whatever we are, are we exclusive?", she sees a blonde eyebrow lifting, "I'm sorry if I'm being mean and selfish and egoist and all that. I know that may sound bad but I really take you seriously – not that I think you don't take me seriously. Well, I hope you do. You do? No, don't answer. I just, I-"

The blonde let out a soft chuckle, "Anna. Rambling."

"Shit, sorry", the ginger cleared her throat and sat properly, hands clasped on her lap, "Are we exclusive? That's… that's the question."

"As you may have noticed, I don't go out much. I haven't dated anyone in quite a while, Anna. So, yes, we are. Don't fret finding me with a guy, or girl for that matter."

Anna happily hummed.

"I do hope this is mutual", Elsa continued.

"Oh! Of course it is! I wouldn't look at anyone else! Like, never. No fucking way!", she furiously shook her head until Elsa's hand hold it in place for a moment.

"All right. Got it", she chuckles, "Let's avoid breaking necks this afternoon, shall we?"

"Oops", she sheepishly put some hair behind her ears and looked at Elsa again.

"Just keep an eye out for, well, you know."

Anna rolled her eyes, "Kristoff isn't… Elsa, can we not?"

"I'm just messing with you, Anna."

_Yeah, I'm gonna mess with ya alright_, she frowns at herself,_ woah, mind. Let's rewind this a bit!_

A pale hand slid from the gear stick to Anna's jeans, cupping her knee.

"Anything else?"

"Uh…", well, there actually was more but having Elsa acting like that was too precious to risk by opening her clumsy mouth.

"Nah."

"All right. Let me know if anything is troubling you."

_Part 1 succeeded! Sort of_, the shorter woman grinned.

"Thanks, Els."

"Anytime."

-x-

The car stopped in front of a two story suburban house, brick walls and white cute windows adorning it. Elsa rested her back on the driver's seat, ducking her head sideways.

"Hey…"

"Hey yourself."

The nervous redhead took the proffered pale hand in hers, intertwining their fingers.

"Are you sure she's not going to get mad at you bringing me here?"

Anna smiles ruefully, "I'm more worried about having forced you to do this."

"Oh, Anna", she smiles, caressing the girl's knuckles with her thumb, "She's the woman who raised you. I need to know her."

Her breath hitched at the statement. Elsa was being so kind and accepting she felt she's in a dream. But kissing Elsa hasn't been a dream (as they verified over the week… many times), so she's coming into terms that life was actually treating her well.

With her arm around Elsa's mid back, Anna knocked at the entrance door a few times. She looks up and sees the incredibly calm expression in Elsa's features. She was raised in a rich family, after all. She knows how to behave in any social situation even though she avoids such things.

"You came!", said the middle-aged woman who opened the main door with a warm, welcoming smile on her lips. She immediately wrapped the two women with her short arms in a hug.

"I called you saying I was coming!"

"You say you'll come visit me many times but you rarely come for real. You know that."

Anna mumbled something but the woman just ignored it and tousled her hair with affection. She finally looks at the tall blonde in front of her, a happy twinkle in her sincere eyes.

"Oh my. At least your excuse for not coming is _gorgeous_."

"Holy… you're embarrassing her before we even get inside."

"Oh, that is because once we're inside _you_ will be the one getting embarrassed", she looked at the blonde again, "You're Elsa, are you not? Anna talks about you every time her mouth is not full with food."

"I do not!"

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, ma'am", Elsa nods politely.

"Oh!", the woman placed a hand over her chest as she laughs, "So charming, she is. But let's drop the formalities. Gerda is fine."

"All right, Gerda", Elsa smiles, "Now, what was that embarrassing Anna thing about?"

And that made Gerda laughs again, "I like this one. Come in!"

-x-

For an hour Gerda walked from the kitchen to the living room to talk to the girls as the dinner was getting ready. True to her words, she did embarrass Anna with the ominous childhood album full with photos of a little redhead in the cutest ways. While Anna hid herself behind the cushions, Elsa listened to Gerda telling stories of Anna during kindergarten and middle school, hiding her mirth with her fingertips. The blonde decided the photo Anna and Rapunzel are snickering and running around naked with Gerda chasing them is her favorite.

Dinner was great. They spent it with mindless conversation and some banter between adoptive mother and child. Anna took every chance to watch her adoptive mother and Elsa friendly talking, and it made her happy to have dragged the blonde out of her lair to spend some good time with someone so close to herself. As soon as Elsa saw everyone had finished their meals, she stood up skillfully picking every plate on the table. Gerda quickly laid a hand on her wrist, "No, no, no. You're my guest, dear. I take care of it."

"Don't worry, Gerda. I got this. And after such scrumptious meal, washing the dishes is the least I can do."

Smitten by her visitor's kindness, the old lady sat there, watching her sashay her way to the kitchen. She then looked at her daughter, who was watching Elsa as well, cheeks buried in her hands.

"She's a keeper."

"I know."

"You don't call each other girlfriends, though."

"I know."

Water started falling from the faucet, porcelain dishes moving.

"You need to change that, dear."

Anna crossed her arms and leaned back on the wooden chair.

"I know."

With only the glasses to be washed, Elsa was satisfied she could help Anna's adoptive mother in any way. Gerda was a kind, smart woman and the blonde was so glad they are getting along well; a smile found its way to her lips.

A pair of sun-kissed hands also found their way to her hips.

"Almost done here."

"Hm", Anna rested her chin on her shoulder. She was probably on her toes, "but leave it to Gerda. I want to show you something."

"It's fine, dear. I can wash the rest", said Gerda before the blonde could protest, "Show the house to Elsa while I make some tea."

Anna didn't lose any time as she put the glasses on the sink and carried Elsa out of the kitchen with a cheerful "come on!".

-x-

The strawberry blonde walked Elsa through the two floors never leaving her hand unattended. She showed the living room they've been in more details, the fireplace that she said they would have to enjoy in a few days now that the weather was getting cold, the carpet she and Rapunzel stained with wine the first time they drunk without their parents' consent…

Within minutes, they were climbing the stairs, heading to a soft green painted door. Anna opens it with her free hand and led them inside. Elsa smirks, "So the plan was getting us in your room all the time, uh?"

"What are you talking about?", Anna blinked her eyes in mock innocence.

The taller woman wraps her arms around Anna's waist, surprisingly throwing them down at her bed. Elsa's blue eyes shot open at the weird sensation of the mattress below her.

"Woah! What the…"

"I know right! Water beds rule!", she grins.

They giggle at the wave-like motion for a few seconds before getting comfortable. Elsa and Anna face each other, heads down on Anna's fluffy pillow.

"Thanks, you know."

Slender, pale fingers began to run Anna's back up and down, "What for?".

"For coming with me", she closes her eyes at the soft sensation of Elsa's fingertips, "I actually came here days ago but I left the house before Gerda woke up", she sighs, "I know it was wrong and I'm pretty shitty for doing that."

Soft lips touch her cheek, "You had your reasons."

"Right…"

"And now you're here", she tries again, "That's what matters."

Anna hugs the blonde with her free arm, holding her close, staying like this for a while. She gave a dreamy sigh, causing a crooked smile to form on Elsa's lips.

"Something in your mind?", the blonde whispers.

The redhead nods and nudges her nose in the crook of Elsa's neck.

"Sort of."

"Hm."

_It's like every time – every time – you smile at me, I like you even more…_

-x-

They ended up dozing off in Anna's bedroom, Gerda eventually woke them up when dinner was ready. It was around midnight when the women noticed it was getting late and they should go home – well, to Elsa's apartment. There, they cuddled for hours until the two of them fell asleep.

Anna struggled to get up and go to work but sleepiness wasn't the only enemy she had to face that following morning: a cute, clingy Elsa attended to the battle.

"_Anna…"_

_Said woman looked back at the mattress: there was a blonde figure trying to get the sleepiness off her eyes as she held Anna close by the hips. _

"_Sorry, Els."_

_Elsa mumbled, tugging at Anna's uniform._

_Anna yawned, "I really want to stay with you under the blankets bu-"_

"_So stay."_

"_But", Anna continued despite the blonde's interruption, "I really gotta work."_

"_No, you don't 'gotta'…", she hugs Anna tighter, "I'm rich."_

_The redhead laughs quite loud to the early time. Her hands found their way to the porcelain face on her waist level. She caresses its faint freckles, "You're so sleepy you're talking nonsense."_

"_Am not…", she whimpers as she's guided back to the pillows._

"_I will be back before you truly wake up."_

"_Promise me…"_

_Elsa was already falling asleep._

"_I promise, Snowflake."_

Anna slaps herself in the forehead. The nickname slip from her mouth so quickly she couldn't bit her tongue to prevent from coming out. She was glad, though, that she said the less embarrassing of the cheesy ones. _Imagine if I've said cuddlebun, oh my gosh!_

"Anna!"

"Yes!"

She spun on her short heels, facing the brunette young man frowning at her.

"Did you hear anything I just told ya?"

"Uh, no."

He sighs, leaving the dirty dishes on the counter between them.

"You have two tables to clean. One of the costumers made a mess eating spaghetti."

"Oh, alright. On it!"

The man watched Anna walks towards the cabinets to get some new cloths, tableware and napkins. His workmate has been distant and thoughtful since she got there.

"Fun night?", he asks as he scratches his dark brown sideburns.

"Hm, a special one."

"He's lucky, you know."

She stops grabbing things around, "He who?"

"Your date."

"Oh."

"Oh?", he lifts an eyebrow. Then, he frowns, "Damn."

"What?"

"You're a carpet muncher, aren't you?", he says, looking her from head to toes.

Anna grimaces at the label. She's been fine with her sexuality since her teens. Kissing guys or girls was no big deal since the whole thing only matters to her and her partner. But people like the asshole in front of her, saying disgusting things like munching a goddamn carpet were the reason she prefers to keep things to herself, disclosing it only to those who really need to know.

"Hey", he says, "no big deal. It's a waste but it's your life, really."

_No big deal, he says_, the man excuses himself and goes welcome the new costumers, _if there's no big deal, don't fucking look at me like I have a dick in my forehead._

She sighs, taking everything she had to make the tables look new and walks to the saloon. Anna tries her best to avoid moments like that but she knows sometimes they are inevitable. The clock seems to suddenly ticks louder than normal, catching the woman's attention. She smiles. One more hour and everything would be alright.


	19. 19

_chapter 19_

* * *

That was the first actual day of winter but cold winds have been tormenting the citizens for weeks. People could be seen wearing thicker clothes while homeless ones were seeking refuge from the snow that would soon cover the streets.

Because of them, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and the rest of the pub crew – who were still waiting their dear pub to be put back in place – was now covered with heavy outfits on the sidewalk, surrounded by plastic tables supporting big stewpots full of minced meat and vegetables. Rapunzel mentioned there was a food shelter looking for help to their upcoming event to feed misfortunate people and all the guys promptly decided to help. Even Elsa was willing to get up and help. Good deeds became part of her routine all because of Anna and her kind heart. Not that Elsa's heart wasn't kind – she was just too lazy to wake up and actually look for a way to help.

They were reaching their first hour out there, groups of three serving food while the others would warm up inside the tent settled on the other sidewalk. Everyone noticed some people were purposely going to the serving table only when a certain blonde was the one holding the ladle spoon. Elsa's smile and sympathetic words could warm one faster than any stew.

Now it was Kristoff, Anna and Elsa's turn. The boys would often ask the blonde if she didn't want a coat – she was wearing only a shawl – but she kept saying the cold never bothered her.

"Hey, chicken butt, we're running outta stew here."

"On it", Kristoff gave the redhead a thumb up and walked to one of the event organizers.

Since the number of hungry people decreased, Anna took the chance to move closer to Elsa – to, you know, give her some human warmth.

"Hello there."

"Heya…", she took the woman's hand and slid it inside the pocket of her coat, wrapping cold fingers with her mitten, "Is everything alright? Do you want to go home?"

Dark blonde eyebrows arched, "Why?"

"I just wanna make sure you know we can leave anytime, you know, if you're not feeling comfortable."

"Oh, Anna", the blonde gave the hand holding hers a light squeeze, "I appreciate your concern but do not worry. We just started here."

"You're more excited than I thought you would be!", the strawberry blonde dared giving a quick peck on Elsa's cheek in public to show what a good girl she is. And man, how Elsa loves being a good girl. She giggled.

"That's your entire fault."

"Is it?", she grins and tilts her head in curiosity, "Am I making a good difference?"

"A _great_ difference."

They were lost in their own world for quite a while when somebody cleared their throat to get their attention. Anna quickly tensed up as Elsa threw at them a bored expression.

"Uh, hi", the man said, "Hello."

Elsa's bangs were down today and her eyebrows almost vanished in them. Anna held her hand tighter and scoffed.

"I didn't know my folks hit ya so hard you were even kicked outta your house, Hans."

"No", he shook his head to Anna and straightened his fancy black coat before speaking again, "I didn't come here to eat. I came to speak to Elsa."

"And why do you think she…?"

The blonde has gotten hold of the shorter woman by her arm, "Let's hear what he has to say."

And the two women looked at him, waiting for whatever he was going to say. The redhead was ready to pounce and kick his balls if he plays the nice guy to win a chance with her blonde. _Wait. My blonde friend. Don't forget the "friend"._ She was done with blondes hitting him for her sake; she needed some fun, too.

His prudish voice pulled her out of her wandering.

"I'd like to formally apologize for hitting on you", the scoundrel looked at the pub crew burning holes at him from the tent, "and for every moment after. You know, I'm the youngest of all my brothers and I've always been treated unfairly by them and-"

"And nobody cares."

Anna's eyes got wide at Elsa's answer. It wasn't like the platinum blonde has never been rude to her but wow, what was that icy tone! It completely took the male redhead out of synch as he dumbly tried to find the words to proceed.

"Wooh, _burrrrrn!_", Kristoff howled when he returned with a full stewpot in his strong arms. They didn't know if he was talking about the food temperature or the verbal slap. The confused asshole soon left. Elsa got a nice back-scratch from Anna as they headed to the tent to warm up.

-x-

"Aw man, he doesn't stop!", Anna whined.

"And whose fault is it?"

"M… Mine…"

Anna decided to play with Ansel who arrived with Kai as soon as they reached the building.

But due to Anna's mistake, baby boy's time wasn't being exactly peaceful as the girls planned. She sat with the boy on the TV room carpet, chocolate bar in hand to teach him how to say the name of the most scrumptious thing in the world. He keeps calling her "mama" so she needed to balance things by making him say something right. Things went wrong, though. Ansel was amazed by the taste of the sweet treat (Anna gave him a bit every time he got "choco" right) and was crying because soon they would have dinner and Elsa's forbidden both of them to eat the Hershey's bar.

The blonde bent to pick up the crying baby, rocking herself to calm him down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know he would crave it so much…"

Elsa giggled, holding Ansel's head on the crook of her neck, "It's ok, Anna. I'm just pulling your leg. But we, as adults, need to be firm and not give in."

"Is there anything else I can do?"

"No. We have to let him cry until he's tired and realizes he's not going to get what he wants."

Elsa seemed to know how to deal with everything that concerns her baby brother. She would change his diapers whenever he became moving too much, she would keep reading a book until he rolls on his sides, a sign Anna came to learn it means Ansel was asleep for real, or wear a cold bitch mask when he was acting like a spoiled kid.

The redhead got up and walked to the kitchen to hide the chocolate bar in one of the cabinets. Elsa walked to Ansel's bedroom, his cute dark eyes asking her to help him. It made her heart clench _but no, Anna. Must. Resist._

Within minutes she heard a melodic voice coming from the corridor. She smiled. It was reading time for Ansel, and it's been a while the reading time has been for her, too. She turned the knob, opening the door slightly, spying on the blonde reader sat on the blue plush chair besides the cradle. Elsa kept reading but reached out her free arm to make a come hither motion gladly obeyed by the redhead. Anna sat on the floor, arms lazily around Elsa's legs.

The blonde's voice was so soothing Anna knew it can tame a beast in seconds! Elsa's voice was warm, different from her cold fingers that nowadays touch Anna's more often. Anna could close her eyes and listen to her tell-tale tone all night long.

Fingers run through her locks, making her look up.

"I need to tuck Ansel in", Elsa says.

"Did he fall asleep already?"

"Yeah, and so did you."

"What?", her cheeks flushed as blonde smiled at her, "I didn't even notice it…"

Anna leaned back to let Elsa get up. Once Ansel was tucked in the cradle, she sat again, having her legs hugged by Anna once more.

"Els?"

"Hm?"

Elsa began to massage the fiery scalp again, swift circle motions pressing Anna's cheek on her lap.

"What do you plan to do when you get Ansel's custody?"

"You say it as though it is certain that I will get his custody", she chuckled and got a small squeeze on her left leg, "tell me about your future first."

"Playing games, eh?", she bites Elsa's thigh and gets an yelp for it. They giggle together and she continues, "Alright… I'm not sure, to be honest. I'm fine with working wherever to get some cash but I know I need to get my sh-", she looked at the cradle, "my _stuff_ together because the time Gerda will need someone to take care of her will come and that someone's gonna be me. She took care of me, raised me, you know? I can't let her down again."

"Again?"

Anna laughed – she bitterly laughed, "I never went to college and until high school let's say I wasn't the most brilliant chick."

"Studying or not, she should be proud of the woman she raised."

"You think so?", she looked up, cool hand cupping her face. Elsa watched Anna melt in her palm as she caressed that constellation of rusty stars.

"No one should ever doubt that."

Her voice was silky, slow to make her words sink in the redhead's mind.

"Uh…", the redhead looked at the floor, "Your turn."

Elsa leaned back, "I try not planning things if I'm not certain about them. I taught myself not to dream so I can deal with whatever happens."

Anna stared at the baby's room carpet, holding back the urge to say everything, to confess what she's been doing even if it sounded ridiculous, low chances of getting it right. But she couldn't. She needed to meet the big dude first. Heaving out a big sigh, the redhead got on her knees and moved to Elsa's front, wrapping her arms around the blonde's slim waist clad with wool, Elsa's knees on her sides.

"I understand", she whispered as she paid attention to light freckles on milky collarbone, "Whatever happens, know that no one's a better guardian than you are."

Elsa smiled at the sweet words and feather-light kisses on her skin. She moved her hands back to the flushed cheeks in front of her, tipping the auburn head up to meet her gaze. That's the woman she's falling for and she felt so honored by those teal eyes sparkling like that only when she's around.

"You're so sweet."

Anna smiled.

"Just because it's you."

* * *

_Two short, fluffy chaps to get us in the final act. I hope you enjoy. I certainly love the attention you guys are giving to the story. Thank you so much and keep being awesome :)_


	20. 2O

_chapter 2O_

* * *

It is funny how it only takes a single person, a single smile, or someone not running away when you drop them from the bed with a pillow attack, to put down the walls you've built up.

Anna made her way inside Elsa's shell with ease even though the blonde might've not showed it this way. Anna made her wake up early – and it was so worthy by having the apartment filled with cheery laughs and hearty gestures. And the more time Elsa spends with the auburn-haired woman, the more she adores each trait of hers: those endless freckles, the way she bites the edge of her lips when she's overthinking, how she squeezes her eyes and raises her shoulders when she sheepishly smiles, or how she fiddles with her clothes as if they're the most interesting thing in the world when Elsa teases her somehow.

But most importantly, Anna had welcomed Ansel without a problem, some misunderstandings, yeah, but she hadn't ran away like the blonde thought anyone would; the young woman actually came to rescue when the baby boy was taken to the hospital, leaving behind any harsh words Elsa threw at her.

Anna embraced Elsa's world truly, accepting every aspect of it, holding her when she needed and making her happy whenever possible – which has been _always_.

Elsa is okay with falling in love, even if the someone is a female. And it seems Anna is also okay with it. They were even shopping together.

"Does Ansel need milk?", Anna asked. She was the one holding the left handle of the shopping basket, Elsa the right, and like that they were able to grab the items with their dominant hands.

"I completely forgot there's only one bottle. Good memory, Anna."

The redhead giggled. It was so good to be praised.

"Rapunzel's been training me well", they laughed and Anna spotted something important, "Oh!"

"Anna…"

"Aw, come on. Just one bar?"

Elsa looked at the shorter girl pouting and quickly gave up on correcting her mad sweet tooth habit. She sighed.

"All right. One."

"Yay!"

Shopping with Elsa was fun. Not the kind of fun she gets when she shops with Rapunzel. Her platinum blonde friend hums while picking the items from the shelf just like she hums to make Ansel sleep, but a happier tone. They didn't need to talk. Silence was welcomed, each other's company being good enough.

The silence, by the way, was a good canvas to splash on the inner turmoil in her head. Elsa was older, probably more experienced – well, anybody is more experienced than the happy-go-lucky redhead who lives the moment and eventually finds herself broken on the cold hard ground called Reality. She didn't want that with Elsa. Elsa is different and things were getting serious, ripe in her heart. Is it that serious to Elsa as well? Anna guessed she should keep living the moment but now, with Elsa, take any chance she gets to make it the most serious deal ever, pretty visible to those blue eyes.

Said ginger was tiptoeing to reach the next item on their shopping list. Elsa watched her, amused by the struggle.

"Damn… high… shelves, ugh!"

The blonde moved closer. Anna's head was so close she took the opportunity to kiss it as she easily reaches the desired jar.

"Don't worry, shorty. I get it for you."

_Shorty_. The redhead woman's ears got on fire. _It isn't a pet name, is it? IS FUCKING IT!?_

"Put a leash on that puppy or I swear to God…", an irritated man grumbled as he got in the aisle the girls were.

"Come on, Bishop. He just wants a carrot."

"To put _where?_"

Elsa and Anna watched their friends arguing over a carrot, Sven practically tearing Kristoff's lumberjack shirt apart, anxious to get a prize. The blond caught Bishop in a headlock, allowing Sven to assault the angry man's basket.

"Oh", Kristoff stopped laughing when he spotted the two watching the circus show, "Feisty Pants and Kitten are here."

Anna growled, "Can we _not_ make this my nickname?", she slightly elbowed a giggling Elsa.

"No can do!"

Sven barked while Bishop waved his hand.

"Shopping, eh… Kristoff, you're killing me."

"Oh, sorry, mate", he released the man, "Do you girls want some help? Sven can carry your stuff to the apartment", said man barked. Elsa would never get used to that.

"No need to. We're good."

"Yeah, we're good on our own", Anna hoped the boys would get the hint but instead of disappearing, more of them showed up. _Damn, do they always walk in packs?_

Merida was holding a basket full of bottles while Gothi told her the items they bought, crossing them out on the big list in his tiny hands. Maximus came into view, Rapunzel on his back.

"Oh, if it isn't Kitten and Feisty Pants!", he smiled. Anna face-palmed, "Great. Feisty Pants... Great."

"It's cute", Elsa whispered when the crew got lost in themselves checking each other's shopping list. The redhead smirked to contain her happiness.

"Uh", she cleared her throat, "What's up with the big shopping?"

"Cards war!", they said in unison.

Gothi smiled and decided to explain as he saw the confused look on the blonde's face, "Monopoly, black jack, poker. Whatever can be played with cards, we play."

"I see", she smiled back, "Sounds like fun."

"Yer comin', aye?", Merida bubbled up from the group.

All eyes on the women.

Silence.

It is Thursday.

"Sorry, guys. We can't", Anna answered.

Maximus frowned, "Why?"

Silence.

"Uh, it actually is my fault. Anna will help me with…"

"With?"

"Stuff!", Anna beamed.

"Chores.", Elsa added.

"You can hang out with us if we help-"

"No!", Anna said – _too loud, too desperate, Anna. Tsk!,_ "Uh, thanks but no thanks. No need to, because, you know, we don't want to bother you guys."

"So you'll be joining us later?"

Anna stared at the tall muscular boy; _Maximus, for fuck's sake!_ She heard the short honey blonde chuckling, too amused by the situation. Both women holding the same shopping basket looked at her hoping she could get them out of the situation.

"With all this awkwardness, you two are looking like love birds who got caught."

Kristoff laughed, finding it a ridiculous comparison.

_Thank you, Rapunzel. Big help._

"You guys are asking too much!", Anna was getting upset, "We just can't!"

"Woah there", Kristoff held his hands up, "We just want you two to have fun with us."

"I know", she sighed, "I'm sorry. We just-"

"Anna, let's tell them."

Everyone stopped talking as Elsa's serious tone came into play.

"_What?_"

"They will know sooner or later."

"I…", the redhead frowned, "I thought you weren't comfortable with letting them know just yet?"

"But soon we'll invite them to the party."

"Party?", everyone, including Anna, said.

"Marsh's birthday is in a few days and Anna and I plan to bake a cake", she lifted their basket a bit to emphasize, "throw a little party, maybe."

"Awesome!", Maximus and Kristoff said. The blond man turned over to face his crew, ready to build a stratagem, "We need to buy some supplies for the party too. What do you think of..."

Elsa's face was the picture of serenity while Anna was struggling to keep her eyes in their sockets.

"Marsh's birthday? Is that true?"

"No", Elsa whispered back, "but he never remembers his birthday, anyways."

-x-

They got back to the apartment safely, plans for the birthday party running wild made them believe they were shopping because of Marsh and no more questions were thrown at them.

Elsa decided to take a shower before a night with pizza, movies and nail polish.

As soon as water could be heard falling on tile flooring, Anna rushed to the balcony, holding Elsa's phone and hers. She scrolled over the contact list of one and added a number into the other, calling it immediately after. The person didn't take long to answer.

"Hi… Kai?"

* * *

_Ooh... now what!_


	21. 21

_chapter 21_

* * *

It was weird, to say the least. How long hasn't Elsa been in her father's mansion she doesn't know. All seemed exactly the same, though, even after all these years. All those shiny corridors leading to other corridors full with mahogany doors. It was fun to slide on her socks and look for or hide from her mother – who now she knew has always let her won. But then…

"I'm leaving!"

The blonde looked back and found the same corridor dim lit, shadows moving under closed door. She didn't know when she got her favorite blanket up to her chin, hands strongly gripping its hem. Looking at her right, she gets her reflection in the window – she's 12 years old again. And she knows she's exactly 12 because the screaming beyond her room is the same screaming she heard the day before the morning she couldn't find her mom at home, only broken furniture. She clearly remembers how her mother fought to take her daughter out of her future ex-husband's grasp. Now Elsa understands the time the woman's voice got muffled she was probably being hit. As always, the girl closes her eyes to sleep because at some point you sleep so much that things are gone… people are gone.

"Have you talked to her?"

Elsa clenched her teeth not to yell at the sudden question. It wasn't night anymore. She wasn't lying on her bed. It's been ages since the last time she sat on that same windowsill. Her father was broken yet furious, leaning on the doorframe of her bedroom - doorframe that's been locked most of the times since her mother left… which happened what? Two weeks ago? _Yeah, I remember I was quite terrified by my father possessiveness after Mom's departure. Should I confront him now that I have the chance?_, Elsa wondered; she sighs, _If I remember correctly, he leaves right after I say…_

"Not yet, Father."

Just like years ago, her father stares at her for a moment and then nods, leaving without forgetting to lock the door again. Elsa had forgotten how anxious she used to get every time she'd heard the lock's noise. Even though in here only two weeks has passed, Elsa wasn't a teenager anymore. In reality she's been through all that. The moment the man got sick of Elsa's mother contacting the girl secretly and cut off all communication in the house, all the mental and sometimes physical abuse she endured through the years… everything fresh in her head. She could swear her arm was still swollen because of that night she was about to take the trash out and he thought she was leaving too, and yanked her back in by her arm.

"All right", she touched her arm unconsciously and deep breathed, "Let's… let's busy ourselves."

Her hands roamed through her study desk. There was a yellow envelop on it that she remembered pretty well. She smiled. _Freedom_. Getting up, she walked to the door that was surprisingly unlocked. _Yeah, time's passed. That's the day I leave to university. Good._ Around the corner she spotted her father drinking something in front of the mansion's main fireplace.

"I'm leaving."

Elsa remembers she used the same words her mother did to announce her last day in that house. Yes, she wanted to hurt her father. She wanted to hurt him so he could know the damage he's caused by locking her away for years due to his frustration.

_And he did understand._ _Look at him staring at the flames, taking a sip of his Scotch then looking at me and…_

"Go", he looks over his shoulder, "I gave up on you long ago. You're as useless as your mother."

The young adult frowned. After running away from the domestic abusive environment her father set up for her to live in, Elsa spent a lot of time thinking about everything. That untoward sentence burnt in her memories. If he's given up on her long ago, why have he kept her locked up, isolated?

"You know what, no", she walks towards him. She wouldn't cry and leave the house this time, "You don't talk to me like that."

The man played with his dark blonde mustache, looking anywhere but at his daughter, "Don't try to be bossy on me, Elsa. Your mother may have surprised me but I won't take this from you."

"I won't take _this_ from you anymore!", she says, "That is exactly what you want me to do, isn't it? You want me to curl into some dark place in my mind, staying there while you define who I am! But that's not going to happen."

"What then?", he crosses his arms, "You're pathetic. A spoiled, unvoiced 19 year old child thinking the world is ready for you. You're gonna fall, Elsa. You're gonna crumble and I'll hear you knocking at my door asking for shelter just like your mother eventually will. You two are too weak but pretend to be strong, denying the protection I offer to you!"

The tall man figure was getting taller and taller, its shadow devouring the flames that once provided life to the room. Her father wasn't only getting bigger in her dream… _Gods… He's the personification of my fears…_

"You don't have to protect me", she says, "I'm not afraid."

"Do not lie to me!", his voice was terrifyingly guttural.

Elsa tried to yell but then again, she was in the past, in her father's house. She was nothing back then.

"Leave me be! I'll be alone, but I'll be alone and free!"

His hands were around her wrists, pushing her down on the hearth.

"Oh, you're such a fool, you can't be free!"

He raised a hand, ready to slap her in the face. Elsa didn't fight back, she had enough of that damn nightmare and maybe a hit would snap her out of it.

The pain shot her eyes open and she finds a breathless redhead on her lap, straddling her. She noticed her cheek is burning.

"Some… one", Anna's chest was moving like crazy, yearning for oxygen, "Someone was treating you badly in there", she points at Elsa's head and shakes her head, "I don't like this."

Elsa feels salty water on her lips but Anna wasn't crying. She ruefully chuckles, "In the end, I cried, uh."

The ginger follows the woman's moves. She sat up as her arms wrapped her mid back.

"Thank you, Anna", Elsa said, face buried in the crook of a warm neck, "Thank you for protecting me."

Anna stayed quiet, caressing the blonde's scalp to calm her trembling body. It was so good to be in Elsa's arms. She kept saying sweet words to soothe the mood but the words she truly wanted to say she didn't know if she could. Anna knew Elsa was into her – she's been making it very clear – but was she in love? Even though Anna also is a damaged person, she never gave up on feeling things, on being vulnerable for the sake of love. But the blonde was different. She put on an armor that seemed impenetrable but Anna's been finding its weak points. Has she found enough points, though?

_Fuck it._

The blonde was whipping her forehead when Anna's tan hands grazed up her forearms.

"Els."

"Yeah?", she finally looks up, making Anna get lost in the ocean of her eyes.

"I, uh…", she bites her lip, "Fuck, the courage vanished."

"You know you can tell me everything."

Anna leans forward and captures Elsa's lips until she makes her breathless, "Let's take a shower and eat something, yeah?"

-x-

After breakfast, Anna decided it was time to go to Rapunzel's since she was on foot and the subway was crowed in rush hours.

They were saying their goodbyes when Anna vomited the invitation, earning two surprised blue eyes on her.

Now those eyes were as big as they were the previous afternoon, stubbornly staring at the metallic bar in front of her.

"Come on", the blue-eyed woman heard in the middle of all the yelling and laughter around her.

"Els?", the voice came again but she couldn't get her gaze out of the only thing holding her back from getting the heck out of that place.

Anna asked her out, using her interest in the new amusement park as an excuse for a hang out. Elsa never thought the redhead would drag her to that abomination people call "fun".

_Fun._

She let out a shaky groan, "What is the fucking fun in this?"

Anna jumped on her seat by hearing her blonde date cussing. That would've been totally hot if the woman wasn't so goddamn tremulous!

"Hey…", the kiss she planted on platinum tresses finally made those pale shoulders relax.

"If you want to get out, we get out", she continued, "I can call the park dude…"

Elsa angrily shook her head, still not looking anywhere but the metallic bar.

"You said this is important to you. However, I would really appreciate knowing your reasons. To, you know, talk this _insanity _through."

The redhead chuckled at the sarcasm in Elsa's voice. She snaked her arm around the trembling woman to keep her in place, and whispers, "I've been thinking of ways to show you this… thing. I want both of us on the same page, no misunderstanding, no frustrations. So, you tell me if it somehow matches what happens on land."

"What happen–"

It surprised Anna that Elsa had such overwhelming grip as the blonde got hold of her wrist. The redhead successfully undid it to intertwine their hands together instead. The seats moved forward and within seconds everyone was face-down. Taking her last chance to talk to her friend, the ginger looked to her left, lips touching the young woman's ear as she mouthed _just relax_.

The track was pretty quiet, letting its users enjoy the slow motion; said motion picked its pace, getting faster, and faster, and faster, and faster! Elsa could swear she lost her soul five seconds ago when they got halfway up – _is this thing trying to touch the sky!? Oh Gods, woah_, her head felt pleasantly light when they reached the top. It was like she was on cloud nine as the beast went downhill. A sense of freedom taking control over her senses; her lips mirrored the smile on Anna's. Suddenly, they encountered sudden plunges, huge sweeping spirals, stomach-wrenching loops and sharp dives at light speed. The blazing orange steel track on their backs is barely visible and the twisted bit that seemed so far hits her eyes and her braid hangs on the top of her head. She felt like she could do anything and she went along with the other inverted riders, asking for more, pretending she's flying. As if all that wasn't enough, the ride whipped them around a 77-foot-tall in-line twist to complete the wild soaring adventure.

Elsa and Anna got off the car – the blonde serving as support for Anna who seemed the dizziest of the two of them. The park employees congratulated the bunch of "dragon slayers" as new ones arrived.

The two girls found a bench to seat and eat.

Anna burped, "So…?"

She got a smirk in response. She knew Elsa loved it even though for a moment the woman made her regret planning such hang out.

"It was… liberating", Elsa said, "That pretzel loop was crazy."

"I know right!"

They laughed and worked on getting that foot long chilli cheese hot dog eaten. Elsa handed a napkin to Anna who she already knew eats like a rambunctious child.

"I enjoyed the ride although I failed on getting the meaning of it", Elsa admitted, "Did you want me to face my fears?"

Anna's eyebrows disappeared in her hairline. She was so hungry she totally forgot to explain why she wanted Elsa to accompany her in the wild ride. And now that she needed to explain, things got very embarrassing. What if Elsa didn't feel the same when her feet are on land? Well, shit. At least the woman now knows how she feels. Better put things bluntly.

"That's how I feel when I'm with you."

The redhead fidgeted under Elsa's gaze. The blonde stared at her for a good minute and that wasn't the outcome Anna's imagined. She thought Elsa would laugh out loud or jump on her lap, so why was she staring? Was the experience so different from their time together? _Because, seriously, shit gets all crazy inside me when she's around. Those inversions are nothing… like…_

Anna missed the blonde moving in front of her, closing their distance with a kiss. It's been a whole week since they kissed again in the reading room. After that, none had the courage to initiate anything. They watched movies in Elsa's apartment, Anna rode them to their new friend's bar and they would exchange glances every now and then. But that was it. That was all they did for seven damn days. Having those soft lips gently touching her own just made her eyes roll in the back of her head, stomach lost in a wild roller coaster looping.

They probably looked like a dumb teenager couple dating on a park bench but neither of them cared. A bird could poop on them and all Anna would do is giving it a thumb up. She moaned lightly in response to the teeth biting her lower lip.

"That's pretty much how I feel, yes", Elsa grinned.

Anna returned the smile. _Fuck yass! Now, the grand finale. _

Reaching down her backpack, she handed a small rectangular object wrapped with yellow paper.

"What's this?", Elsa began tearing the paper. She assumed it was a box but the object was rectangular because it was a book – a well-conserved old book.

"_Den grimme ælling_...", she read the cover, "The Ugly Duckling."

"Yeah", the ginger tucked a bit of hair behind her right ear, "I checked the bookstore near the diner and I thought it would be nice to have more stuff to read to Ansel. A- And this story is so beautiful I'm sure he's gonna love it."

Elsa chuckled, kissing Anna again. She didn't sit straight again, though, keeping their faces close as she speaks, "Ansel doesn't understand what I say."

"But I know he's going to love this story in your voice", Anna answered, getting another peck.

"Thanks, honey."

_Do hearts explode? Because mine just did. _Elsa called her _honey_. They both knew the pet name came out in the heat of the moment. It probably would never be uttered again. But the redhead didn't mind. It was sweet and heartwarming.

"You're very welcome", her arms found their way around the blonde's neck. They kissed again, a passionate kiss that ledtheir hands on each other. But again, that wasn't an appropriate place.

"Dark ride?"

"Dark ride."

-x-

When someone knocked at Elsa's door, Anna quickly got up with an "I got it" and greeted the old man, exchanging a knowing smile as Ansel was passed from a pair of arms to another.

Anna and the baby boy were having fun on the living room carpet whilst Elsa was bringing their hot chocolate. The blonde placed her mug on the nearest place not covered with carpet and handed a mug to Anna and a bottle to Ansel who eagerly started to drink the content.

"You're such a bad influence, Anna."

Said girl looked up, showing a milk mustache, "What have I done now?"

"Ansel's developing a sweet tooth because of you!"

Both women looked at the little boy enjoying himself and giggled. Elsa's laugh was music to Anna's ear, and she wanted more so she pounced on the blonde, tackling her on the ground.

"Anna!", Elsa complained at the amusing pain of tickles.

The younger woman giggled, "You need to laugh more, you know!"

Hearing his big sister's laughter caused Ansel to laugh along, causing more laughs from the girls. They dumbly laughed for minutes until the boy decided to play with his toys, leaving the two lying on the carpet, catching their breaths.

Anna was almost asleep on Elsa's chest when the blonde spotted the shorter girl's cellphone screen blinking. "K" was the first letter written on it. She growled. Stretching her arm with little difficulty, she reached the device and with two swift moves of her slender fingers the phone was set to vibrate.

"You are not going to ruin our good time", Anna hummed against her collarbone, "Nothing, Anna. Just sleep."

They didn't know exactly for how long they've dozed off until Elsa's phone rang rather loudly. Ansel's passed out on the other side of the carpet hugging his snowman plush. Elsa rolled on her sides, having Anna firmly attached to her mid back, and picked her smartphone on the couch.

"Yes?... We left the park hours ago… Ugh, sure", she poked Anna's sides to wake her up, "You're at your workplace, right? I'll be there in a few minutes."

The blonde ended the call and looked at Anna, "Hey."

"Wassup", she stretched her back and got on her elbows.

"I need to give the car to Marshall."

"Hm. You want me to go with you?"

Elsa was already up, getting rid of any wrinkles on her clothes, "No. Can you stay with Ansel, though?"

Anna picked the asleep boy and walked Elsa to the door, "Leave it to me."

With a goodbye kiss, the blonde closed the entrance door, leaving a dumbstruck ginger smiling at how simple giving kisses has become.

The strawberry blonde hadn't even reached the rooms' corridor when she heard knocks on the door.

"She says Marshmallow's forgetful", she speaks to Ansel, "but look at her forgetting stuff. What do you think she forgot? Keys? Phone?", the boy makes a sound, "I have no idea what you just said but I'll bet you meant 'keys'."

As Anna opened the door, though, she didn't find Elsa.

"Oh… eff."

* * *

_Yeah, folks. Find a love that makes ya feel like you're riding Six Flags' fucking Tatsu._

_And sorry I'm late. Urgent papers came outta nowhere. Life, yknow. I hope you enjoyed this, though? May I get a review? :)_


	22. 22

_chapter 22_

* * *

_Confused_ was the least Elsa could say she was feeling when she opened the door.

She left the apartment with a chaste kiss as if that was the most natural thing in the world and she drove the whole way to Marsh's with the thought that she wanted to go back home to continue the tender dynamics.

Finding that bear of a man spread on her couch as if it was _his_ house, a hand holding _her_ brother in place over _his_ goddamn chest, was totally _not_ what she was expecting.

"What the heck is going on here?", the blonde hissed.

Kristoff sat up straight, keeping the baby boy in his arms when the little one leaned back to smile at his big sister.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, hi, Els-"

"What are you doing here? Alone. G- Give him back to me", she grabs his brother, "What are you going here?", she looks around, "Where's Anna? Wait, what are you doing here!"

"Woah, woah, there!", he raised his hands in defense, a crooked smile on his lips, "Elsa, calm down. I wasn't kidnaping your brother. Relax."

Elsa held his brother closer, staring at the tall blond with frenzied eyes. Deafening roar of sudden silence took over the room.

"What are you doing here!?"

Kristoff ducked his head backwards, "Erm, Anna…? A little help here?"

Elsa stopped staring at Kristoff when she noticed her feisty redhead dashing from the back of the apartment. "Elsa! Holy shit!"

"Indeed", the blonde frowned, "W- What is he doing here? Why does he know Ansel is my brother?"

"Aw, Ansel's a nice name."

"Shut, Christopher!", Anna threatened the bubbly guy.

"What is he doing here!", Elsa whined.

_Oh my gosh, she's so lost. _Anna smiles, "Let's sit and talk, yeah?", she says, delicate fingers guiding Elsa by her elbows.

"No! You tell me right now what he's doing here alone with you!"

Teals eyes get wide, "With _me?_"

"Y- You two!"

"Uh, guys, I'm right here, you know… just saying…"

The platinum blonde huffed and looked at the bulky guy, "Explain, then."

Kristoff stood there, mouth hanging opened. He blinked twice and looked at Anna. Elsa's icy game was too strong.

"You left. He knocked", the ginger started, "I opened the door because I thought it was you who forgot something. I was carrying Ansel and the whole thing went down! I had to explain things to him, Els. I'm so sorry. I don't want us deep in lies shit. I understand you like your privacy but things would be disclosure one way or another with time! And Kristoff's reliable. He wouldn't gain anything by talking about your personal matters. Please, don't get mad at me!"

While watching Anna's outburst, Elsa felt bad for always putting Anna in awkward situations due to her issues. If she ever gets Ansel's custody, they'd live together and taking him to school, for instance, would become part of her routine. If she stays close to Anna – which she deeply wishes to –, their friends would end up seeing the boy. In fact, she would love to surround him with good people as he grows up. Giving him a healthy, happy childhood, different from hers.

The blonde leaned in to kiss Anna's cheek, running a hand up and down the girl's back so she could relax.

"No, _I_ am sorry", she whispers, "T- There was no need to freak out."

"Exactly", Kristoff says. He was sitting on the couch again, his thick arms crossed, "It was an accident... And I can help."

"Help?", both women asked.

"Yeah. I mean…", he stood up and walked to them, "Ansel will need a male figure around."

Elsa chuckled nonchalantly, "Thanks. We need no man."; she bit her lower lip, _sorry, Marsh_.

"Anyways", she continued, "you didn't tell me why you came here."

"Oh, right! I tried to call but you, Red, as usual, never answer", he said, not noticing the blonde lowering her head in shame behind Anna's mane, "I wanted to say that Marshmallow's party is going to be at my place because we've heard – and now I can confirm – that you guys' apartment is neat and _neat_ is not an adjective that goes well with us."

Anna snickers at that.

"Alright, Kristoff", Elsa says, "I see no problem."

The man sighs, "See? All solved. No harm done. Time to GTFO! Drinks on me tomorrow!"

Anna walked his friend to the door, leaving Elsa to take care of Ansel.

"I didn't know you two were that connected", Kristoff said when the strawberry blonde was almost closing the door.

"That connected?"

"I ain't stupid, Anna", he smiles, "I look like I am but I ain't. I'm a love expert, to be honest", they share a laugh, "Not when my heart's involved but…"

"Kris…"

"It's cool! I got it" he scratches the back of his neck, "I… I was too dumb for pursuing something you said it wouldn't happen. And the three of us have something more important, right?", they hear Ansel's loud laugh and Anna turns around to mimic a monkey and makes Ansel laughs more.

The blond guy leans on the doorframe and whispers, "I like you enough to leave this behind."

"What dya say?"

"Told ya to take care of the blonde dork."

She smirks, "I'll take care of her alright."

-x-

They arrived at 8 and texted to Marsh the directions so he could go to the sudden gathering.

Kristoff's house was very simple and not as messy as the women imagined it would be. He lives with his adopted parents and Sven in a house with a TV room, big dining room, very small kitchen and a corridor they guessed it leads to the bath and beds. They put the cake Elsa and Anna baked on the dining table. Merida, Gothi, Rapunzel, Bishop buried themselves on the couch while Sven laid on the dirty futon everyone presumed it was his actual bed.

The blond host distributed bottles to every person, showing he doesn't lose his bartender habits not even when he's home.

"Pencil", Merida said.

"Nope", Bishop answered.

"Uh… chair."

"Nah."

"Stairs?", Gothi said.

"A ladder, actually."

"Well, ladder… walls?"

Bishop shook his head.

They were all now in the TV room playing Let's Go Camping. Since they were no geniuses, they picked a game with simple rules: someone thinks about a place they're going to camp and everybody else needs to say things that might exist in the imagined place until somebody finds it out.

"A ladder and no walls?", Rapunzel dramatically threw her arms up, almost knocking Merida in the process, "Help a sistah!"

Bishop chuckles, "Well, you may drink some water by accident when you're in it."

"_In_ it?", Kristoff spoke up from the chair he was lazily sitting on, "Ladder… Are you talking about a _pool?_"

"Yes!", the gray-haired man smiled.

Everyone growled. Kristoff spoke again, "Camping on a pool is not even possible!"

"Well, if the cover is on…", a cushion was thrown at him, "Ow!"

"You are a weird creature."

"Screw you."

"My turn!", he scratched his almost non-existent facial hair, "Hmm… Oh, ok. That's awesome."

"Just to be sure – are there walls this time?", Maximus, who was on the couch's arm, smirked at Bishop and got the finger for it.

"Yeah, there are."

"Doors?"

"Yep."

Merida frowned, "Elevator?"

"No, no."

"Stairs?"

"Lots of."

The curly redhead laughed feeling victorious, "Tis a building!"

"Be specific!"

"Like an apartment complex!"

"Nah-nah!"

"Urgh! Wait! So…"

Anna chuckled at her competitive friend. She looked at her left and saw Elsa leaned on the corridor with a bottle of something in hands, watching them from afar as she checked her phone. Marshmallow called her minutes ago so she got up from the couch but never returned.

"Will Marshmallow be late?", the redhead asked when she leaned on the wall too.

"No, he won't. He just left the shop."

"Great! I bet he's gonna be super surprised!"

Elsa giggled, "Super surprised, yes."

Call Elsa addicted but the blonde has been missing Anna's lips on hers for more than a few seconds like five days ago at the dark ride in the amusement park. Lately whether Anna was working or they were both busy taking care of Ansel. Don't get her wrong, she's more than happy with her baby boy around but couldn't Anna avoid falling asleep so fast when they finally get him to sleep? The redhead really needed to build up some sort of parental resistance to put up with the little boy.

Elsa looked over the other girl's shoulder, making sure everybody else was compelled to find out what place Kristoff's planned for the group to go camping.

"Fine. A hint: hand."

"Hand?", Gothi said.

"There's a goddamn hand in the place we're going to camp?", Rapunzel grimaced.

"Actually", Kristoff fleered, "There are two."

The honey blonde got up and headed to the kitchen, "I'm out. This shit is getting creepy."

Elsa slung an arm around Anna, bringing the petit redhead closer.

"Els, what…"

Goosebumps emerged across the ginger's arms. Elsa kneaded her lower back with the pads of her slender fingers. Anna practically purred.

"You like this?"

"V… Very much", she cuddled, playing with the thick braid on her right, "I thought you wanted to be discreet, though?"

"Discreet about what?"

"About us, whatever we are."

"Oh", her hand ran higher underneath the long sleeve shirt, "I never said that but I thank you for keeping this low."

"No biggie from my part. So, hm, why are you doing this? Not that I'm complaining. I mean, seriously, keep doing that, please."

The blonde laughed against copper hair and muttered, "I miss you."

Anna has never thought her face could get _that_ hot. She even hoped she wasn't burning Elsa's light sweater.

She knew what the blonde's talking about because she too has been thinking about it. Anna almost kicked herself when she woke up on Friday and noticed she missed the make out opportunity, and as soon as they got up they'd busy themselves with baking. The dark ride was incredible. They touched each other over the fabric of their clothes; Elsa even dared exploring a bit of the ginger's sides. They acted like a horny teenager couple and it was fun. A fun they never carried on.

She looked up to press her lips on those immeasurably soft ones. The taller woman took hold of Anna's chin, hoping she manages to express she doesn't want it to end but Anna knows better – she knows their friends would tease them as friends do but she isn't sure how that would affect Elsa. She broke the kiss and hugged the blonde. Elsa could feel her smiling at her neck.

"Be patient, tiger."

They hugged tighter and walked to different directions; Elsa pretended she got out of the bathroom and sat on the free seat beside Gothi.

"I can't believe you, Bjorgman", Maximus said, "A freaking clock tower!?"

"No but seriously, what were you expecting from the owner of the place we all get drunk?"

Maximus paused and thought about Gothi's words. He neighed, "Yeah, right."

Meanwhile Anna went to the kitchen where Rapunzel was.

The honey blonde began to whistle the k-i-s-s-i-n-g song. Anna didn't have time to talk back because the main door made a noise letting them know someone was coming in. Rapunzel, Elsa and Anna crouched behind the counter while the rest jumped behind the old couch. Kristoff took his sneaker off and threw it at the wall to turn off the lights.

Their large friend soon got in, afraid he opened the wrong apartment, "Uh… guys?"

They all stand up with their phone screens lighting their faces as they yell "Surprise!".

The boys clapped hands while the girls whistled, everybody walking towards a staggeredMarshmallow.

"Happy birthday, man!", Maximus half-hugged him. Kristoff handed a bottle of beer.

"Birth…", Marsh looked at Elsa, "Shit. I forgot it again?"

"Language", said blonde smiled and moved closer, hands clasped in front of her slim body, "You always forget it. I don't know why you're so surprised."

_Please, fall for the lie. Fall for the lie…_

Marsh scratched his head ashamed.

"Thank you, Els. I can't believe you guys did this for me", he winked at Anna.

"_Gratulerer med dagen_, my friend."

Beer bottle forgotten, he lifts Elsa in a fraternal hug, trying to show how happy he is.

"But that's weird", he speaks, still holding the blonde in his arms, "I clearly remember it wasn't snowing on my last birthday."

"Global warming."

-x-

After attacking the homemade cake, they decide to play beer pong, rum version – since it's a cold night. Marshmallow was too strong and always ended up bringing all the cups down, including his team's. It was a common agreement the big guy would be better watching than playing.

"Hey, birthday guy."

"Annie", he smiles and scoots over to give her room against the counter, "Thanks for the cake. I loved it."

"You know Els did almost everything, don't you?", they chuckled, "And about her…"

"What about her?"

The redhead finally looks at him.

"I'm going to talk to Kai tomorrow."

Marsh laughed, "Sorry. I think I misheard you, kid."

"I said… I said I'm going to talk to Kai tomorrow."

The big man doesn't answer right away; he looks at the champagne bottle Maximus brought as a present, takes a sip, breathes slowly, then places the bottle on the counter.

"Now's a good time to ramble until I get convinced you're not out of your mind", he says.

"I have a plan, sorta."

Anna wondered why her plan sounds so ridiculous whenever she needs to talk about it.

"Sorta."

"Sorta", she repeats.

"Ok. Sorta. Continue."

"And this plan might help Elsa to get Ansel's custody."

Marshmallow stares at her, "You do realize you're walking on a minefield, don't you?"

"I do, and I _know_ Kai will see she deserves the custody."

"And why are you telling me this? It seems you've already set up a meeting with him. I don't think I can help you with anything else."

Anna and Marshmallow looked at the platinum blonde playing and winning all the rounds of rum pong she was in; her posture wasn't tense anymore, she was giggling and smirking at the losers who are now her friends as well.

"You're the closest family she has, Marsh", Anna whispered, not taking her eyes off Elsa. She shrugs, "I wanted you to know this beforehand, kind of get your approval?"

He looked at her, flattered she considers him part of Elsa's family because that's how he feels. He feels as though the blonde and he were a small weird family and it seems the ginger is making her way into it.

"We know each other for what, five months?", he caresses her back to grab her attention, "And you've done nothing to ever hurt Elsa. She's like a mix of big sister and a mother to me. I need to protect her, and if you want to come along to share the duty, I'm with you."

Marshmallow received the brightest smile he's ever seen. Anna buried her head on his chest, grateful for not being thrown out of the window. Her friend was a precious ally and an encouragement boost.

"I've been thinking about taking her to the flea market", he nods to himself, "I'll make it happen tomorrow so you two won't have time to meet tomorrow's afternoon", he drinks his champagne, "Just make sure to visit us at night."

"Dude, I would never not visit you!"

They share a good laugh and start talking about everything and nothing as they watched Merida and Elsa masterfully winning every round, since everybody else was at least tipsy.

"I may not be good with dates", he looks into Anna's eyes, "but I will never forget the moment you became part of our little family – which is now."

The redhead stares at him, heart filled with a turmoil of emotions she couldn't put a finger on, couldn't name it with certainty. There were fear, excitement, honour and happiness bumping adrenaline to her system, forming the tears on the edges of her teal eyes. Living with her stepmother and having her uncle, aunt and cousin around has been amazing. Of course she missed actual parents, all that family of margarine commercial bullshit, but they were enough to keep sadness at bay most of the times. But now was different – she reached the point where she disconnects herself from her often blood ties and builds something from the ground with people she meets through life.

The large man shows a sincere smile.

"Welcome, kid."

* * *

_Ha! How did you like Marshmallow's party? I'd love to know. Your reviews are so very kind. I thank you all a lot, from the bottom of my heart. And shit! More than 100 follows? ___Who's awesome? You're awesome ;)b_ _

_I hope the story entertains everybody in this final stage (yup, final stage. Ya read right). Ciao!_


	23. 23

_chapter 23_

* * *

That was it. The final boss fight she managed to get herself into. There she was, at the diner she works in, sitting in one of the booths as she plays with her own hands nervously.

"Shit, did I make the right thing calling Kai?", she thought out loud, "I almost punched him in the face but he seemed nice… I'm sure he's gonna understand my intentions", she nods, "I will _make _him understand."

After Marshmallow's fake birthday, Anna bid them goodnight and went home with Rapunzel after hearing the big guy invited Elsa to go to the flea market with him next day. The following morning the redhead worked and asked her boss if she could meet someone in one of the diner's booths. Kai had called her in the early morning to check if it was all right not meeting at his office.

"Aw, man", she tugs her pigtails, "I'm shitting bricks!"

"I will pray for your sorry butt."

Anna looked up and met a middle-aged man in front of her donning a sympathetic smile in his thin lips. He in a dark brown suit, showing he just got out of his work. She covers her mouth, _shit, he heard me swearing! But… he just teased me in response. That's a good start_, she smiles, _oh, better greet him._

"Hi, uh, sir."

The man made himself comfortable in the booth sitting across the young woman.

"Kai is just fine, Miss Anna", he loosens his carmine necktie.

"Okay, Kai. So just Anna is fine."

"Deal. But you didn't call me to settle how we would address each other from now on, did you?", he jokes.

"Uh, hm, no, of course not! I, I wouldn't waste your time with that", she lets out a jittery laugh and continues, "I have a serious topic to discuss with you."

He nods at her and grabs the menu lying on the table.

"So we should warm up our throats for the conversation - what do you say?"

Within minutes two mugs of hot chocolate are in front of them. Anna finds holding the mug a good way to hide her trembling hands. She was grateful the business man was being kind and showing a laidback side of himself to make her comfortable but having to face him about such matter, to risk facing his wrath, was nerve-wracking.

But she needed to do it.

She needed to do it for her girl.

Anna grabbed her backpack and took a blue and white case out of it, slowly placing the object on the table.

"I am not really good with planning so I don't know how to start…", she stops looking at her beverage and looks at Kai instead, "spending time with Elsa and Ansel showed me how important he is to her. With time, she let me know about her parents' death and… and about you holding Ansel's custody, and I saw, I _felt _how much she wants to be his guardian, a present sister. I began to think: what can I do to help her? I'm so useless. In this matter, most people are just like a sand grain in a beach. But I'm her friend. I couldn't let her suffer; not Elsa. Not a friend of mine", Kai nods to show she could proceed, "So I kind of came up with a plan – a plan to show to whoever doubts her love for that baby that she is the most incredible person in the world, the best guardian a child can have… And gotta say I'm not sure if what I've done will level to my speech but that was all I could came up with. Oh gosh I hope you don't laugh at me, just, please, try to consider all you see, alright?"

Kai smothers a chuckle and slides the case in his direction. He opens it and is bombed by two falling piles of photos. The ones on the top were showing Elsa bathing Ansel and the blonde reading for the kids at the library program both girls volunteer in.

Anna watched the man's features soothing and then melting as his thick fingers danced through the pictures of the blonde reading for the kids, serving food for poor people, supporting the animal shelter, playing and feeding Ansel. She would introduce those in each photography and explain what they were doing when the photo was taken.

"That's the queue to get food from Elsa", she touched the photo Kai was holding up, "Gotta say the rest of us was pretty disappointed because she was everyone's bias", the man chuckled and shook his head, "Here you can see my friend Kristoff, my cousin and Gothi. He took most of the photos."

They spent an hour looking through the piles, asking and answering questions. In the end Kai dearly held a specific one in his hands: Elsa kissing Ansel's naked belly while Anna held the boy in the air.

"I am so proud of my goddaughter…", he speaks without taking his eyes off the photo.

"You should", she sighs, "Elsa is amazing."

For that, he looks at her and smiles, "I still cannot believe she told you about her past."

"Well, we never got into minor details but I don't think we need to. The past is in the past and what she's told me was enough to make me stand up and do something."

"And you quite did, dear… I'm impressed by this side of Elsa. She's so different I feel I really am not spending enough time with my girl."

The statement that she made something right cheered her up.

"But all of this will change nothing if it stays with me."

Anna's smile fell, "Huh?"

"In this trial Elsa and I are rivals, per se. She was too young when all happened and I had to take Ansel's custody as being the closest to the family. Of course Elsa could have taken it but I knew she was too damaged inside. It's a human life we're talking about", the redhead nods, "these photos prove she's changed. I can't, however, do anything with them. It would be going against my claim in the court, you see?"

"But… But can't you drop the whole thing?!"

"I can, yes. But I'll not."

Anger ignited inside Anna, _what the fuck is wrong with this dude-!_

"Now, now. Don't gimme this angry face", she stops frowning, "I'm moved by Elsa's changes, but are they enough? The court will be the judge", he slid the case back to its owner, "I am not the person you should be showing this material, Anna."

"So who is it?"

"Elsa's attorney. I'm sure she can give you their information just as she gave mine."

"I see", Anna smiled. _Thing is, I stole your number?_

Kai and she talked about everything Elsa and Anna has been doing, catching up with his goddaughter's life, she noticed; but the fact she has no idea of how to reach the attorney without letting Elsa know she's been secretly trying to solve the blonde's personal matter bugged her throughout the afternoon they spent in the diner.

-x-

Anna shoved the keys of the bike lock inside her pants pocket, looking down at the doormat after knocking at the apartment's door. She had texted Elsa to check if she and Marshmallow had already got home from the flea market so they could go to the tap house together. Elsa told her she's gotten back by herself as their big friend met some workmates on their way home. The blonde, being the introvert creature she is, promptly left the human gathering.

So there Anna was, six hours after bidding goodbye to Kai at the diner, in front of the house of the person she's been trying to help without it being acknowledged. The redhead felt terrible for days when she stole Kai's number from Elsa's phone. She couldn't do that again. But she had no idea how to reach the attorney and that bothered her deeply.

She heard hurried footsteps getting closer to the door that was swiftly opened as the blonde held her phone with the other hand.

"Come in", she whispered, quickly switching to Norwegian to continue the phone call.

Anna leaned on the wall, amazed by the sight in front of her. Platinum hair was done in a braided bun, making her look like a princess. Whilst her hair gave her a regal countenance, her clothes – _well, her goddamn body_ – were quite… provocative. And by provocative the ginger meant a silky magenta tank top and a skinny leather pants so tightly wrapped around those willowy legs one could swear they were part of her skin. _And that's such a nice, shiny ass…_

The younger woman rushed to silently close and lock the main door. _No way someone's gonna see her like that!_ She walked towards the blonde who was still speaking in Nowergian, snaked her arms around that slim waist of hers, hugging from behind. Elsa slightly jumped but didn't show surprise in her voice. Anna began to demand attention by kissing her shoulders.

"…Ok, hot stuff", Elsa turned around in Anna's embrace after ending the phone call, "We can go now."

_Hot stuff me? Hot stuff you!_, Anna shook her head, finding her way to those rosy lips, "No, we can't."

"Hm? Why?", the blonde asked between kisses.

"Because there will be no happy hour tonight, actually", she cleared her throat, "I just got a call from Kris."

Elsa lifted an eyebrow, "Interesting, because I got a call from him making sure we're going to the party."

The redhead growled, _inconvenient blond dumbass!_

"But we're not going."

"Why?", she repeated her question.

"Because…"

"Because?"

Anna closed their distance with a kiss to shut the blonde up, trying to escape from the question. _Because you're too hot tonight, _she looked at Elsa and kissed her again, pressing their bodies together; she wrapped an arm around the blonde's lower back, _because I don't want people looking at you wearing this damn tank top, _her free hand played with the hem of leather pants, _or drooling over your legs_. Elsa was pinned against the wall – _can I really tell her that?_

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, the older woman smiled brightly, kissing the freckled nose in front of her, "You're anxious. What's wrong?"

Anna started to guide them to the living room, "N- Nothing's wrong. I only want to spend some time with you."

They came to a stop against the kitchen island.

"And why can't we enjoy ourselves with our friends?"

"Because I want to spend some time with you alone?"

Elsa's hands were on the counter, blocking each side of Anna who just became a prey. As soon as the redhead averted Elsa's gaze again, the blonde smiled, _this is getting fun._

"You're lying to me."

"Am not!", Anna cried.

"Anna…", she chanted. And they both knew the mood just shifted. Within seconds the shorter girl was lifted on top of the wooden counter, hips gripped by firm cold hands.

They kissed for some minutes, the blonde's grip wasn't too tight, but relentless just like the many versions of "what's bothering you?" she asked after two or three kisses. Elsa cupped Anna's face and it felt hot to the touch – little did she know about the other body parts being warmed up as well.

Elsa's noticed the way Anna's been looking at her clothes, as if she wanted to tear them apart and hide the whole thing with a burka at the same time.

But she wanted to hear the reason.

She wanted to hear how much the other woman desires her.

"You think you're gonna make me say the reason?", Anna showed a smug smile when the blonde sent her a superb bite lip, hands lightly caressing her midsection. _Two can play this game. And you're so tender, Els. I'm pretty sure I can deal with whatever you throw at me._

"Good luck with that", the auburn girl winked.

That bite lip got harder, firmer, blood almost seeping out of the blonde's lip. Anna's teal eyes shot open – the blonde purred, she actually _purred; the hell, is that even possible? Woah, there!_

Anna got her back pressed on the counter surface, legs locked under Elsa's armpits. She looked at the blonde.

"Alright, alright, I underestimated you a bit, I guess?", she gasps, "_Els!_"

Cool lips touched the small portion of skin that got revealed between her t-shirt and pants as her body got stretched back.

Elsa has never been so forward, so dashing. Anna's face was a bright shade of red, not knowing if all those love bites around her navel were real or her breath was bated because of an illusion.

The caressing turned everything in slow motion, the sand in the hourglass taking longer to fall… that persistent touch, the kisses and the massage on her thighs were great – but things never developed into something else! It was madly frustrating!

Elsa pulled back again, that wicked smile never getting off her face.

"Say it."

Anna sat properly. She giggles, "Nah!"

The redhead tightened her legs grip around Elsa, bringing the blonde closer so she could reach that arousing spot behind the ear she's found during the dark ride. Elsa was almost undone in Anna's hands when someone rang the doorbell.

The blonde stood back, face flushed by the make out session and eyebrows furrowed by the interruption.

"Say it before I answer the door."

Anna leaned forward, cupping Elsa's cheeks, "I'm not gonna say the reason, and you're not gonna answer the door."

Elsa receives a chaste kiss, "You're a stubborn brat, you know that?", she tried to undo the ginger's crossed legs, "Anna."

"Elsa", she mocked.

The blonde tried to break free again jerking herself back and having to hold Anna by the butt as she slid off the counter, "Anna!", she whispered.

"Elsa!", she whispered back and giggled, too drunk in happiness, "Please, don't answer the door…", she whined, still feeling her body throbbing. _Don't start something you won't finish, woman! _

Said woman frowned at her, feeling bad about whoever was at the door.

"Marsh might've forgotten his keys again…"

"If we make out quietly he's gonna think we left already!", she chirped.

"Anna!"

"I'm horny!"

The taller woman sent her an embarrassed look and then sighed, "Where did you leave your bike?"

"It's locked up in front of the… I am an _idiot!_", she gritted her teeth. Her means of transportation was in the front of the building, letting anyone – including Marsh – knows she was there. Elsa kissed Anna's frustration away as the doorbell rang again, "I got to answer…"

The redhead nodded, setting Elsa free from her legs as she got on her feet as well. Marshmallow would so pay for that.

"You know", the blonde stepped in front of her again, intertwining their hands together, "if you didn't want me to go out wearing this, you should've just said."

Elsa picked her Mickey keychain and bit her lip.

"But not saying it was… fun."

Now it was Anna's time to get embarrassed. She didn't know she was so easy to read… She looked at the elegant blonde walking away and smiled – or maybe Elsa was the one who could read her so easily.

The doorbell rang again. Elsa checked herself on the rectangular mirror hanging on the wall at her right. Her face was still a bit flushed but she could say it was the cold weather. She deep breathed and turned the knob around to let her roommate come in.

The man in front of her wasn't as large or as tall as Marshall. He actually was rather skinny and funny looking.

"Olaf?"

* * *

_First door Anna doesn't want to see opened hehehe... what? I found funny!_


	24. 24

_chapter 24_

* * *

_When Elsa walked to the door, she pretended she was fine with the whole sexual tease in the kitchen. Truth, though, is that everything got out of hand. Yes, she wanted to tease Anna and get an answer with it, but kissing Anna in such intimate way? She had to mentally kick herself for losing control of her hormones so quickly._

_Finding Olaf at her door was odd. The blonde couldn't remember the last time she met (and avoided) the extremely chirpy neighbor. That night, he was covered in snow, trembling a lot but with a goofy smile on his face and two thermo bottles in hands. He said he was frolicking in the snow when he spotted his favorite neighbors' lights on and decided to go up there and pay them a visit, hot chocolate included. Maybe his hype was the reason he got in and paid no attention to the girls' swollen lips and Anna's messy attire._

_After almost two hours talking with Olaf, Elsa regretted not socializing with his neighbor sooner. He was very talkative, which is always good when you don't talk much yourself, and very kind. She found out he is the person who puts the newspaper on her doormat every morning. "Since I go downstairs to get mine, I get yours, too!", he said. Olaf also was the person who would decorate their door with Christmas neon lights every year. Olaf was the guy doing things Elsa and probably Marshmallow always thought were the doings of the building complex employees._

_The conversation was nice and all but at the first sip of the hot chocolate, Anna tasted something else in the concoction. Seeing how the blue-eyed woman was leaning on her and how Olaf's laughter increased after three rounds, she was glad she never finished her first cup. Now, the pale neighbor was talking about the time his girlfriend got a fever and he took care of her._

"I wasn't comfortable but we suffered and melted together under those blankets!", Olaf drank his chocolate and howled, "This is what loving someone is about, eh? Finding someone who's worth melting for."

Elsa arched an eyebrow at the look the giggly man was giving to her and then to Anna.

"N- No… that's not…", Anna chuckled, "We friends. We're friends...", the tipsy blonde looked at her, " What?"

"Friends...", she mumbles.

Olaf let his body rest on the back of his seat, "Sorry for assuming!"

They averted their eyes shyly, hoping the funny man didn't notice the awkward yet pleasant situation he just caused.

Suddenly, the main door was brutally opened. Marshmallow came into view, face covered with a balaclava, "Girls, no party tonight. Snow storm violent as… Oh", he looked at their neighbor, then at his two embarrassed girls, "Hey…?"

Elsa was practically lying on Anna's lap, mumbling something about killing the mood. Teal eyes were pleading for help while Olaf got up to hug the muscular resident.

"I was goin' to talk 'bout you!", he said, "All goo' things, all goo' things!"

"Olaf", he cringes at the alcoholic breath blown at him from bellow, "Buddy, what do you think if we go to your place and finish the other hot chocolate bottle?"

Olaf chortled and whispered, "I don't think they noticed I put glögg in it!"

Marsh looks over his shoulders, Anna was dragging Elsa out of the couch, "Yeah, right", Olaf snickered, "Now come, Olaf. I really need some hot chocolate."

Marshmallow locked the door and Anna carried Elsa to her room bride style. The blonde was too tired – read _drunk_ – to take a shower, so Anna left her lying on her back in the bed while she washed herself. The little fun they had that night made her sweat.

"I was with my attorney on the phone… when you arrived..."

Anna stopped using the hair dryer as Elsa suddenly spoke.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Mm-hm", the blonde grunted, "I'll… I'lll need to go to Norway with him. Papers and hearing and court and things…", she yawned. That conversation wasn't going to last long by the way blue eyes were getting hooded.

"I see. How long will you stay there?"

"At least three weeks."

Anna's eyes shot open.

"W- Why?"

"My attorney said it wasn't possible to book all the things we will need to do, like, in a row. I know he tried his best… Forgive me…"

The redhead finally jumped on the bed right on the spot Elsa left for her. She swept those lustrous bangs off Elsa's forehead to plant a kiss on it.

"It's not your fault", she whispers.

"Anna…?", Elsa calls, shifting besides the redhead.

"Yeah?", Anna answers as she runs her hand through loose platinum tresses. They're facing each other.

"Wish you could go with me…"

"Me too. But I can't ask for a month off now that I just started at the diner", her fingers gently scratched the blonde's scalp, lulling her, "You know that, don't you?"

"I do. I just…"

"Els, you'll do awesome."

The tall girl moves closer, tucking her head under Anna's chin. It was sort of weird due to their height difference but Elsa made sure to slide herself down under the comforter, arms wrapped around the petit figure. Anna heard her girl's cute snore within minutes.

"Good night, Elsa… Love you."

-x-

"I didn't really peg Elsa for the jealous type."

"I know, right?", Anna shoved a dozen of fries in her mouth and kept talking, "Ish cute an' hot!"

On a random afternoon, Anna got an angry call from Rapunzel, saying her heart was shredded by the lack of attention she's been receiving since the party at Kristoff's, weeks ago. The redhead was used to her cousin's drama but she couldn't deny she's been neglecting her other friends due to her concerns towards Elsa and Ansel's matter. There was no way she would deny the honey blonde some family time when asked. The girls were sitting their butts on that cheap fast food resto for hours now, catching up on each other's life.

"I'm glad everything worked out with Kristoff. And I'm so happy to see she's treating you well, ginger. Don't think I forgot when she shut you out."

"I know, I know. Thanks, momma", she joked.

"Talking about _momma_, how's Gerda?"

"She's good", Anna nodded, "I visited her weeks ago. Elsa went with me and the three of us had a great time. Elsa is making sure we keep in touch with her."

"_We_, huh", Rapunzel smiled, "Your girlfriend's a sweetie. I thought she was cold and… what?"

"She's, uh– she's not my girlfriend", Anna mumbled.

"Why not?"

"We're… We're taking things slow."

The blonde blew some air against her bangs, "Very slow, I see", she raised an eyebrow, "Does that mean…?"

Anna felt her face heating, "Does t- that mean w- what?"

"Damn. You never fucked."

"Rapunzel!", she hushed her cousin when some heads turned around, "What the hell?"

"Ditto. I mean, not even some fing–"

"I totally am _not_ sharing this information with you", Anna interrupted.

"So it hasn't happened?", Anna kept eating her fries, "Oh boy, judging by how much of a tomato you look like right now…", the redhead groaned, "That's really cute and totally stupid."

"Enlighten me."

Rapunzel bit her sandwich thoughtfully, "Cute because it means you're waiting the 'right time'. Stupid because I don't think I would've lasted this long and, you know, _it _is good. Oh, and sad."

"Sad?"

"Because I wanna know how girls get it onnnn!"

"Ugh, Punzie. You're so lousy."

"You love me!", the blonde chanted, "But are you all right with it?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, you know, red in the head, a beast in the bed…?", she wiggled her eyebrows.

Anna sighs, "I don't even know why I talk to you. Anyways, I'm alright. Our relationship is not based on sex. Even though, uh…"

"Even though what?", she grinned.

"Els is being pretty forward lately", she sheepishly confessed.

The blonde claps her hands, "She wants your vee."

"Girl, can we not get all dirty?!"

"Got it. Got it…", she clears her throat, "I feel that your date is willing to take things to a higher level, my dear cousin."

"Sheesh, that's sappy."

"Yeah", they laugh, "Hey… remember that school winter break we went skiing?"

Anna finds the sudden change of topic weird, _but it's my cousin we're talking about_, "Yes, I do. But it's not snowing enough to go there, Punzie. If that's what you're implying."

"I am not talking about us nor skiing…"

"Uh?", she stares at her cousin for a moment, then her eyes go wide, hands covering her mouth, "Holy shit. That's perfect!"

* * *

_Soooo, next chapter may or may not be the last chapter. _

_Now, before you complain that it doesn't seem to be so near the end, lemme tell ya that instead of a 2k words chapter, ch25 ended up being a **5k** one. Will I divide it in two, will I add more stuff... Well, I hae till next Wednesday to decide but you have something to say about it, feel free. I love hearing stuff from you. _

_And good part of it is smut. Smile, you horny peeps!  
_


	25. 25

_chapter 25_

* * *

Anna noticed Elsa's nightmares increased whenever they go to Gerda's or when Rapunzel and the two of them spend time together, which always end up in some relatives' kind of moment, with inner jokes or knowing each other so well they would complete each other's sentences. She then concluded family time was an emotional trigger. _No surprise here_, she thought. But the fact Elsa insisted on going to such occasions was strange. Her Elsa often runs away from this sort of situation and a thing that causes nightmares should be avoided. That night, though, when Anna heard sobs in the bathroom, she realized the blonde has been trying to be strong, to overcome her inner demons by getting used to things like a night out with people's relatives. One day, she's going to go to Ansel's school and it won't be good to break down in front of all the other siblings, parents…

Anna silently hops off their bed and heads to the bathroom, finding the blonde curled in on herself, leaning on the bath tub.

"Elsa?", she calls out but the blonde doesn't answer, too busy trying to control her breath, she guesses. The redhead then places her hands upon pale trembling skin, rubbing slow circles between the shoulder blades. Elsa tenses at first but soon enough gives in the soothing motion. She leans back in the comfort those warm hands are giving to her.

"Bad dream?", she asks, tenderly touching Elsa's damp forehead with hers.

"Y- You can say that", she whispers, "I didn't want you to see me like this."

"Els, I said you don't need to conceal, didn't I?"

Elsa nods, "You did. But I want to be strong."

"And you will be!"

"But when, Anna?", she snaps, "Soon I'm going to face the court and… and I'm this broken thing. Do I really deserve…"

Anna leans forward and captures Elsa's lips. They were salty and dry but lovely nevertheless. It angers her how those moments could so easily spark the blonde's lack of confidence, hampering her personal growth. Anna was determined not to let it interfere with their communication.

She breaks the kiss and holds Elsa's chin so they can meet each other's gaze.

"Anxiety jumble", she quips, getting a nervous chuckle from the blonde, "You already are braver than you think. But things will happen at their own pace. For now, rely on me, okay?"

With that, Elsa shushed. Anna is always able to cast some sort of spell on her with her words, her touch, her antics.

The strawberry blonde sees determination finding its way up to those beautiful blue eyes, anxiety fading away. She smiles to reassure she meant every syllable that came out of her mouth. _I'm not going to be away when you feel alone. I'm not going to back down if you lose your shit. I'm willing to give my best to make this work!_ And deep in those once frightened eyes looking back at her, she knew – she just knew they were repeating her votes. And so, she decides to sum it up:

"Through the best and the worst, Els."

The blonde smiles, biting her lip in the process as she takes one of Anna's trembling hands and places it on her chest, above her racing heart. Anna fought for words and ends up silent, holding her skittish blonde close to herself until she states she's good to stand up.

-x-

_Bzzzz_, sounds the door bell.

"Is it him?", Anna asks.

"Probably", Elsa gets off Anna's embrace and stands up. Anna follows suit, silently grabbing her backpack.

"Since he's the one who arranged this apartment for me, he walks around unannounced", Elsa continued.

The two young women walk to the door, Anna slightly behind as Elsa grabs her keys to answer the door. The blonde spun around her heels, facing Anna.

"Now, about my attorney… well, I say attorney, he's more like a relative. He, Kai and Father were good friends and he would be a present guest in our place as I grew up. He would bring me books from his travels when Mom was teaching me how to read… Anyway, I don't want to scare you, he can be a little bit inappropriate… and blunt… very blunt… he's also tall – taller, and he may get a bit nostalgic because it's been months since the last we saw each other, in Norway, when, you know… But he's fine… He means well…."

Anna smiles at Elsa's ramble. It was good to see she's not the only one who does that. She touches her arm, reassuringly, "Els, he sounds wonderful."

The blue-eyed woman smiles, thankful by Anna's sincerity, and turns around to finally open the door. The petit redhead had to hold in a profanity when she sees Elsa's attorney because _dude, he's as tall as the door! _The attorney was a burly, large man with fair skin covered in strawberry-blond hair that adorned his face in the shape of side burns, thick mustache and eyebrows. His light blue eyes flicker as he spots Elsa.

"Hallo!", he waves his paw-like hand.

"Hi, Mr. Oaken."

"Oh, dear", he snickers, wrinkling his pinky nose, "There is no need for formalities. I used to wipe your little pale butt, remember?"

Before Elsa could protest, her face was flushed and Anna was giggling behind her, catching the big man's attention.

"Yoo-hoo! Who's the pretty lassie?", he asks in the most Scandinavian accent ever.

Elsa folds her arms behind her back, stepping aside to make room for the other girl.

"This is Anna", she looks at the girl and back at Oaken, "She's, uh, mine. I mean, girlfriend! She's my girlfriend."

A wild herd runs in Anna's stomach when she witnesses Elsa's clumsy yet brave introduction, leaving Anna so dumbfounded she doesn't even notice when their fingers get intertwined.

Oaken's face seemed to be ready to split in half by how wide his grin was. Elsa's gaze never left eye level, looking straight at the reaction of an adult Anna guessed she respects a lot. With time, the three of them laugh the tension away and grin.

"Oh, my chubby heart", he fans himself with his free hand, "I'm so happy for you, my dear."

"Thank you, Oaken. But, hm, you came here to…?"

"Ooh! Yes, dear, I…", he lifted his black brief case and tried to open it once, twice, then he threw the object against the nearest wall, startling everyone. The case falls and smoothly opens.

He smiles, "I'm sorry about this violence. Here", he stretches his arm, showing some papers, "These are your airplane tickets and the files you need to fill in."

Elsa takes the papers from his hands.

"Please, fill them carefully before you head to the airport. If you have any doubt, do not hesitate to call me, yah?", he looks at Anna and winks. They both know how stubborn the blonde can be.

"And when do I head to the airport?", Elsa asks, eyes fixated on everything she'll have to answer.

"In two days."

She snaps out of her forms, "_Two days!?_"

"Yah! You told me 'the sooner, the better'", he smiles. Elsa then remembers the conversation they had months ago, when she had nothing keeping her in one place. Nothing and _no one_.

With her heart sunk, Anna forces herself to smile brightly.

"This is awesome", she lays a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"That's it! Excitement! I have to go, though. See you in three days", he leans down to kiss Elsa's forehead, then Anna's.

As soon as he walks out of sight, Elsa sighs loudly, burying her face in Anna's neck.

"Damn it…"

"Hey, grumpy one", the redhead caresses her back, "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"You know what I mean", she grumbles, holding Anna closer.

"I do… and that's why I'm taking us to a beautiful place", Elsa finally looks at her, "Well, _you_ are taking us since I don't drive and the place's outta town but I'm the one who knows the place so I'm taking us there… in a way. Gas on me", she snickers.

"Ok, girlfriend", she says, emphasizing the _girlfriend_ and swooning Anna, "We leave at dawn?"

Anna shakes her head, "We leave now! Right now."

-x-

"_You found your boots?", a teenager Anna says aloud, "You can get one of mine, you know…"_

"_No!", says the person in the other side of the door, "I got it!"_

_Anna crosses her arms in front of her flat chest, not believing her cousin's tardiness to get ready for skiing. Her adoptive mother and her uncle had been promising the girls a trip to the ski park for months and it finally snowed enough to enjoy the granular white thing everyone was so dazzled about – Anna still considers warm white sand better._

"_Ta-da!", her cousin chirps, showing up in all her glory, wearing pink gear with Sun patterns… because Sun has everything to do with Winter._

"_Cool. Let's go."_

"_You didn't even look at me properly."_

_Anna deep breathed and spun on her heels, taking a good minute to observe her cousin, fromhead to toes, "Your costume is beautiful, Punzie. I loved the Sun thing. Can we go now? I need to move my muscles."_

_Rapunzel, then with short brown pixie hair, grunted and followed her friend out of their cabin. They walked for about five minutes before she stopped on her tracks, staring at what Anna thought it was 'nothing'._

"_Rapunzel, seriously, we need to meet our… Rapunzel, are you fucking listening to me?"_

"_Seriously, Ginger. C'mere", she takes her goggles off, "Look at that cute lonely house."_

"_Awesome."_

_She snaps her head at the dead-panned girl, giving her a glare, "I want to know what is that."_

"_No way."_

"_Yes way."_

_The look at each other for a moment and Anna gives up. She knows her cousin wouldn't quit so better get done with it._

_They didn't know at that time the woman they found there cleaning the place was actually the mother of their best bartender friend. At the age of 14, Rapunzel and Anna promised they would take someone special to that cute place Bulda rents. Almost a decade later and neither of them found someone to take there._

Until now.

"Are we on the right path?"

"Yes", Anna says, "Just around the corner!"

As Anna demanded, they left "right now" – right after packing some warm clothes and food – and she was giving Elsa the directions they got online. The redhead knew Elsa was still grumpy about leaving soon so the whole journey to the unknown place was done with Anna's fingernails lazily caressing Elsa's inner thigh, the car filled with some random radio station.

They finally reach their sojourn destination. It's an adorable cottage. Small yet cozy rooms, low beige ceiling. The windows were wooden logs and the whole place had a rustic vibe, as if the dwelling was in the middle of the woods instead of just out of the road. The walls were pale green, with some hooks to hang keys and coats.

They've eaten before talking to Oaken so they went straight to the couch to cuddle and watch a movie, glad to be in the arms of each other, dumbly calling each other "girlfriend". They wondered how it would be when their friends finally get the news… if they haven't figured it out already. Elsa's grumpy manners whenever someone was too touchy towards Anna may have been a good hint of her intentions? Yeah, Anna thinks so.

After two hours, though, they had to move their limbs and fill their bellies, and to the kitchen they went.

Elsa suddenly tsked, catching Anna's attention, "What's wrong?"

"I forgot to give you something. Wait here."

The redhead leaned on the sink as Elsa whisked to the entrance where they left their belongings. She came back quickly, tiny package in hands.

"Here."

"Ooh, a present?"

The blonde smiles and nods, motioning her hands to Anna open the present. There was a metallic box wrapped and in there rested a silver necklace adorned with a beautiful shinny snowflake pendant. The strawberry-blonde had never seen such stylish pattern.

"There was this guy making things with metal and stones near the flea market", Elsa says while Anna eyes the gift in wonder, "I asked him to make this b- because I h- heard you calling me, uh…"

And then Anna's eyes shot up to stuttering Elsa. So she wasn't asleep that morning, uh… Anna smiles as the blonde fights for words.

"I like it. It's… cute. And since I'm leaving soon, uh, I know it sounds stupid but that way… that way you'll have part of me with you?", she lets out a nervous chuckle. What was she thinking when she planed that! Anna's dopey smile shows up as she walks towards Elsa.

Elsa was beautiful and kind, intelligent and lovely, making the redhead feels every inch of how plain she was – _why would Elsa want someone like me? _Little did she know similar thoughts were crossing the mind of the woman she hugs.

"This is gorgeous!", she squeals, "Just like you."

The blonde grins at how stupid she is. Anna easily says things she would take an hour to properly form a sentence. Anna was a free spirit with no social fear in the heart.

"You're so expressive, and energic about everything", she kisses Anna's forehead, "I'll miss this."

"And I'll miss you all", she whimpers, "Gosh, Elsa. I love you."

The blonde woman stares at her, cheeks dusted light rose, mouth wordlessly open. She swallows hard whilst warm hands gently caress her arms.

"I love you, Elsa", the redhead repeats, "And I don't think I can live without hearing you say that."

"Here and now, I'm bare."

Anna frowns, _Alright, whatever answer I was expecting did not start with a 'here and now, I'm bare'_, she thought, but she kept quiet so Elsa could continue.

"I always feared that…", she sighs, "These words that you say, they put your heart in someone's hand. Then they can hurt you. And I grew scared of it. But with you, Anna…", she smiles, she loves the way the girl's name sounds in her voice, "With you I'm not afraid anymore. So, yes, I do. I _love_ you. I love you, too."

Anna beams, she smiles greatly as her hold on Elsa's hips get tighter in a happy way. She let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding, "For fuck's sake, you coulda just said I love you!", Elsa is spun around in the air as they laugh at the unnecessary tension in the moment.

Soon enough Elsa is on her feet again, lips locked to Anna's. Elsa tilted her head as their lips danced, her fingers tangled in the fiery mane, trying to tug the younger girl closer. As Anna knew Elsa's weakness just behind her ears, so did Elsa: those fiery tresses on her nape pulled fiercely yet with care. The blonde worked her way to the sun-kissed shoulder, leaving a nasty mark on it that would get purple the day after. She couldn't care less.

When they look at each other again, Anna sees Elsa's eyes are heavy with love – no, _**passion**_. With a hand on blonde tresses, the redhead guides Elsa back to her body, and Elsa goes in. She finds Anna's pulse under her velvety tongue, closes her mouth around it and she sucks – she sucks it _hard_. The girl moans under her. Elsa takes the invitation as Anna ducks her head to the side, exposing more skin to be marked. Elsa nips it many times, slowly, and then runs the tip of her tongue over the agitated skin to soothe the pleasant pain.

Anna is jelly in her arms, leaning into her with bated breath when they connect their foreheads.

"I love when you fall apart because of me", the blonde whispers, and that did it. Anna sensually growls before kissing her passionately. Elsa fights for air but the other girl had none of it, crushing their bodies together as though she wanted them to become one.

In truth, she wanted that freaking tease right there and now, on the table or the floor! Whatever!

But it was cold indeed so her solution came in two demanding words:

"Bed. Now."

* * *

;)


	26. 26

_chapter 26_

* * *

_The blonde worked her way to the sun-kissed shoulder, leaving a nasty mark on it that would get purple the day after. She couldn't care less. _

_When they look at each other again, Anna sees Elsa's eyes are heavy with love – no, __**passion**__. With a hand on blonde tresses, the redhead guides Elsa back to her body, and Elsa goes in. She finds Anna's pulse under her velvety tongue, closes her mouth around it and she sucks – she sucks it hard. The girl moans under her. Elsa takes the invitation as Anna ducks her head to the side, exposing more skin to be marked. Elsa nips it many times, slowly, and then runs the tip of her tongue over the agitated skin to soothe the pleasant pain._

_Anna is jelly in her arms, leaning into her with bated breath when they connect their foreheads._

"_I love when you fall apart because of me", the blonde whispers, and that did it. Anna sensually growls before kissing her passionately. Elsa fights for air but the other girl had none of it, crushing their bodies together__ as though she wanted them to become one. In truth, she wanted that freaking tease right there and now, on the table or the floor! Whatever! But it was cold indeed so her solution came in two demanding words:_

"_Bed. Now."_

-x-

Elsa's ruby lips move into a smirk as she wraps Anna's legs around her waist and walks to the corridor in the back of the cottage. She walks the whole way giving Anna's lips random pecks as if multitasking was no big deal. The ginger then was glad she's being carried because she was pretty sure she would've tripped many ways, if not fallen, hurting them both.

"Which way?", Elsa asks. Her voice was getting low and husky and Anna likes it very much.

"Left", she whispers before cupping the blonde's porcelain cheeks to kiss her again. The woman moans lightly in response, pressing Anna against the wall as they continue the make out. Her arms find their way around Elsa's neck, bringing her as close as possible as she deepens the kiss. When Elsa's tongue gets into play, she teasingly bites it and retreats, "I said _bed, now_."

"I _am_ trying!", Elsa whines, "Stop making me lose focus."

Elsa and Anna finally reach the bedroom and was it fancy! The bed was thick, tall and large, right in front of an incredible heater on the door wall. The light was orange and pretty dim, which set a nice mood. There were more cool things to notice in the room but they were too busy taking their clothes off. Each girl ended up in their underwear because "these, you take by yourself", as Anna phrased.

Hands and mouths were on each other, Elsa carefully guiding them north so they could have room to play. They lie down side by side, looking, kissing, touching, cherishing one another as though it's been ages they haven't met, or as if that was the first time they've seen each other – which wasn't a lie. They have never seen each other that way, so vulnerable, so exposed. And they _loved_ it.

Anna leaned in, wrapping a leg around Elsa who gladly holds it for dear life with one hand as the other holds the shorter woman by the neck, tugging those infamous locks in the back of it, earning moans. Anna lowers her warm hands across snow-white skin, caressing the dimples on Elsa's lower back; the blonde hums slightly and Anna smiles in the kiss.

Elsa's hands were cold as they cupped the ginger's breasts, squeezing them lightly before kissing each one. Anna did the same after those hands migrated to her back, rubbing circles on her skin as she loves those full pert breasts that were pale was the moonlight… with cherries on the top, which she greatly appreciated.

"Oh, Anna…" was the blonde's response. Her voice was so much beautifuller when she moans!

Anna wanted Elsa to know that.

But her mouth was too busy at the moment.

She twirls her tongue and Elsa becomes hostage of pleasure, head thrown back as she lets a moan out every time she exhales. If her neck and collarbone were delicious what were her nipples! Anna swears she was becoming addicted.

Caresses on her scalp encourage the redhead to continue her excellent work. When her tongue begged her to give a break, she retreats and blows some air against moist skin, making the blonde enjoyably shudder.

Anna lies on the pillow again to allow Elsa to have some fun. The blonde drinks her in. She lets her eyes travel down the lithe figure, unconsciously licking her lips as her gaze lingers on two hard buttons struggling against the bra fabric. Good thing about being a girl is that you unclasp those restricting garments like a boss and as one she undid the lacy clothing, throwing it across the room. Anna giggles at that, but the giggling doesn't last long when Elsa catches a soft nipple between her teeth, bathing it with her tongue. She suckles one while massaging the other, taking turns so both can enjoy it, a miscellaneous of the heat of her tongue and the coldness of her hands. Anna's yelps were truly gratifying.

Elsa was swift in her moves, Anna knew that. She would never explain, though, how those pale hands ended up sliding her undies to her knees so quickly. The blonde was already moving her to be on her back when she finally understood what was going on. She then held Elsa's cheeks, stopping those lust-driven actions.

"Are you sure about this?"

Elsa stares at Anna, smiling at her caring behavior despite the arousal flame licking them both. She kisses Anna's nose.

"I'm sure about _us_."

She caresses Anna's arms, grabbing her thin wrists and placing them at each side of the girl's body.

"Hands here."

Anna shudders at the command, unable to stifle the thrill building up in her throat.

And with that, Anna brings her legs up around Elsa's shoulders after her descent of open mouthed kisses across slightly tanned skin. Elsa looks up at Anna one last time.

Anna's brows furrows, eyes close and mouth opens for shallow breaths as Elsa's tongue touches her sex ever so slowly, as though she didn't want to hurt the redhead's delicate folds. The girl was thankful by Elsa's consideration but she wanted more, she wanted it _all_ – and it seemed like Elsa just understood her need as her tongue lapped her lover harder, then faster. Anna's back arches.

"Fu- Fuck…"

Elsa's cold nose touches her fiery curls as the blonde opens her mouth to suck Anna, tanned hands fiercely holding the sheets, approving groans encourage her to devour, to _ravish_. And she does so, oh yes, she does. Elsa forgets what air is as she repeatedly forces her mouth in Anna, closing the gap between them so she can give firmer strokes, tasting every inch of that glistening slit. Those cute hips were continuously rocking as her moans got louder, not a care in the world. And damn, how Elsa enjoyed the sounds her lover makes.

Drunk on randiness, Elsa probably didn't notice Anna's body in a conflicted state between release and build-up, making her muscles limp and tensed in a matter of seconds. Anna's mind was a haze by the quick peak of pleasure, _what is Elsa's tongue!?_

She pants harshly as smooth lips wrap around her pearl, warm tongue swiping across its tip. Her mouth opens in a silent scream and the warmth of her belly dissipates. A warm thick flow invades the blonde's lips and she takes all of it, treasuring each drop with closed eyes.

It was sort of embarrassing, she never came so hard. But at the same time, it was pleasing. Even her body knows how much she loves the dorky blonde currently above her. Anna smiles at Elsa, wiping her wet chin with her thumb.

"You messy eater."

Elsa gives her a snort.

"Bowl's too full."

"Good lord, Elsa. We need to work on your humor", she brings their lips together. It was funny to taste yourself in someone's mouth. It makes you acknowledge they just got up from _there_ and it shows they claimed you at the same time they are yours.

_You're mine…_

Elsa suddenly stops kissing and hisses, lowering her hips just a bit. Unknowingly, Anna had pressed a knee between her legs. As the ginger becomes aware of it, she starts kissing Elsa again, giving her needy blonde just the friction she needed. Elsa appreciates it and explores Anna's mouth, every nook and cranny, biting her lower lip every time that wonderful knee is pressed against her aching core.

"_An_na", she pleads and Anna earnestly complies. Elsa's womanly hips are held in place and the girl bellow her quickly pulls her damp underwear aside, no time to be wasted by taking it off. The grin Elsa shows is the most rewarding thing in the world. She inserts one finger, not to hurt the woman but as soon as she gets to know the blonde's insides, a "two" is meekly whispered to her.

Both Elsa and Anna had no rush. At that moment, they had all the time in the world. And so they enjoyed the ride, dilated pupils locked, shy smiles exchanged. Everything was pleasurable in a seamless way until the redhead decided to curl her fingers in and _fuck_ how Elsa wished the girl had done it sooner! It reached just the _right spot_. And Anna felt – she felt how the walls tightened around her digits, how they trapped her inside, so she fluttered her fingertips, rubbing the spot as flush rose to that gorgeous face damp with sweat. Elsa feels her head light and warm as she loses control over her rocking hips. Mewls of pleasure give Anna confidence to rest the palm of her hand on swollen lips, squeezing them together to massage the bundle of nerves.

That was the final push.

A last cry was uttered before collapse.

And Anna caught her just in time for a tender embrace.

"You okay?", she murmurs very softly in Elsa's ear. It takes a while but Elsa finally nods as she quivers in tingly afterglow.

"I'm wonderful", she kisses the shoulder in front of her, "You're wonderful."

And with entangled legs and damp spots on the bed sheets, they fall asleep.

-x-

When Elsa opens her eyes again, she is greeted with a pink sky. Its colour, though, wasn't as warm as the fragile body besides her. She gets on her elbows to have a better look at the untamed flow of red all over her girlfriend's side and the long trail of drool that made her giggle. She rests her cheeks on her hands and watches the cuteness in front of her. The cuteness that is _hers_.

"Why are you awake…", Anna mumbles softly.

"Dunno. I just woke up."

Elsa pushes a strand of damp hair off the ginger's sweaty forehead and kisses it longingly. They stay in silence for a while; neither feeling the need to speak.

Anna rolls on her sides and blinks the sleepiness away, "Something bothering you?"

"Hm" was Elsa's response, her eyes counting Anna's freckles as she traces random patterns on them with her fingertip, "Do you really think I can make it?"

"Make it…?", Anna moves forward and gives Elsa's cheek a peck before getting up. The blonde quietly follows her naked butt making its way out of the door. Anna comes back quickly, duffel bag thrown at the mattress as she jumps on it.

"What is it?"

She doesn't answer. She loves when her girlfriend gets curious. Drawstring loosened, the redhead shoves her hand in, grabbing a white and blue case.

She looks at Elsa, "Uh…", she bites her lip, "First, promise you won't hate me?"

"Hate you? Anna…", she takes one of Anna's hands in hers, "I would never hate you."

"Okay…"

Gathering all the courage she could, the redhead opens the case, showing all the photos she collected throughout their time together. In silence, Elsa stared at the material, sheepishly picking some photos to take a better look.

"This… Those are us…", she points at the photography and looks at Anna, who nods, "Gods, look at all this."

For a couple of minutes, Anna said nothing, allowing Elsa to _aww_ and smile at the memories of everything they've done so far.

"I haven't realized how important everybody became to me", she reaches Anna's face and strokes it, "You make me so happy. Thank you, Anna."

Said girl looks down, "Don't thank me yet…"

"Why not?"

"Well… I'm glad that you're not mad that I made our friends follow us and take pictures of everything. I mean, I thought you could've thought that I was being a stal…", Elsa cuts her off with a bold peck so Anna gets she wants her to get to the point, "My plan was for you to hand this to the judge or social worker, to show you're a good person, thus a good guardian", she looked at Elsa, "I… I thought about handing it to Oaken but better giving it to you… Els?"

The blonde looks at her bewilderedly, thumbs mindlessly stroking her freckled cheek.

"You did that for me?"

And then Anna's weak voice came.

"…I love you."

Elsa mumbles incoherent words, a grin plastered on her face. As her cheeks clinch her eyes, tears fall. She breaks down in front of Anna, but both know those are happy tears.

-x-

The two women were sitting on one of the hundred plastic benches the airport offers to its users. Elsa's head under Anna's chin as the freckled woman holds her close.

After a day spent marking and memorizing every part of each other, they called Marshmallow who took a bus to the cottage and drove everyone to the airport. He was currently grabbing coffee from some machine.

"I'll meet Oaken halfway."

"Hm…"

Whatever conversation Elsa tried to start was killed by Anna's laconic answers. If Elsa was grumpy the day her attorney announced her departure, now, ready to leave, Anna was mortified. She was gripping Elsa's shoulder as though if she didn't, the woman would slip away.

The blonde raised her head to meet Anna's somber eyes.

"I'll be back before you miss me", she gives her a kiss.

"What if I miss you already…?"

"Aw, you two are so full of cheese", Marsh interrupts. His comment gets some chuckles from the sad ginger.

"Way to spoil the moment", Anna grabs the proffered coffee and takes a sip, "This tastes like death."

"Never expect much from pricey airport coffee."

Sitting beside Elsa, the large man starts asking Elsa to do (and buy) many things as soon as she gets some free time in Norway. He missed some true Danish.

It didn't take long for the airport to announce the passengers of the flight Elsa would be taking should head to check-in.

Marsh stands up, picking Elsa's bags to give them some room. The blonde turns around, taking her girlfriend's hands in hers, caressing her knuckles. They didn't know what to say, Anna notices that. But what could they say? A "good bye" wouldn't express what they're feeling and it hurts like a motherfucker. "Safe trip"? In Anna's opinion, that would just make them nervous about the travel not being safe – _which it is going to be. It has to._ Elsa felt "I love you" wouldn't convey everything she means to say.

Anna tiptoes to kiss her blonde in the lips. When they part, Elsa trails her nose affectionally against Anna's cheek, kissing the corner of her mouth.

"Don't forget me while you're there", the redhead jokes.

"I won't think about anything else."


	27. epilogue

_07.19.2015 - changed some bits to make things... clearer? I thought twas pretty clear but oh well. _

* * *

**~epilogue~**

As soon as Marshmallow and Anna got to his apartment, the redhead checked the cellphone she forgot to take to the cottage. Among all Rapunzel's raffish messages eagerly asking how things went, there was one message from Kristoff saying the pub had been reassembled and a party was in order. The party was fun and all the crew recorded a short vid to send to Elsa.

"You ok?"

The strawberry-blonde looked up. There was Rapunzel with two cups of something in hands. Anna had been hanging alone in one of the tables for a while when the honey-blonde decided to approach her cousin.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ginger."

"I feel like shit and I wish I was in Norway with Elsa."

"That's more like it", she takes a sip of her beverage, "But you know, some time apart will do you girls some good."

"How so?", she asks. Anna hoped Rapunzel wouldn't give her the 'missing makes one value those one loves' speech because she and Els value each other pretty much without damn distance.

"You're Elsa's wonderwall, her safe heaven. Now she's out in the world, alone, having to deal with stuff by herself. She's going to grow up a lot in this short period", Anna nodded. She couldn't disagree. Rapunzel continued, "And imagine how needy she's going to be when she comes back!", she playfully hits her cousin with her elbow.

Anna (finally) smiles. Maybe, besides taking Ansel home if the blonde gets his custody, this trip would have its advantages. 

The following days were filled with more parties but Anna went only to a few. She would go to Bjorgman's during late afternoons to catch up, then straight to bed since she kept going to the library after noon. Merida went to one of her reading sessions. The ruckus she caused made Anna decide it was better not to invite the Viking redhead anymore… for, er, building safety. _All those arrows…_

Since Marshmallow was a lazy ass, Anna would spend the nights at Elsa's room and clean the apartment for them. They both knew the blonde would get demoniac if she returned to a messy, dusty place.

With time, practically all the stuff Anna used to throw at Punzel's apartment was now at Elsa and Marsh's, tidily tucked in the shelf Elsa emptied when she packed her things for the travel. Such change gave room for Eugene at her cousin's.

Winter seemed to just get colder and colder. Nevertheless, Anna now rides her bike to Gerda's every week, at least once. Gerda would cook more and buy chocolates now that she has a mad sweet tooth company again. She even cleaned the hearth so Anna could curl up there to get warm just like she used to do when a kid… 

Anna called Elsa the first time she said "mom". 

But everything didn't make much sense. Everything wasn't as appealing as it used to be because Elsa wasn't there. Talking on the phone, having their faces on computer screens? Awesome. Better than nothing, isn't it? But once they had their hands on each other's flesh, everything seemed _drab_. Elsa would get busy with all judiciary bureaucracy over there in Norway whilst the redhead would work her ass off at the dinner, getting in touch with every single person she cared for, hanging out with her cousin and her boyfriend, playing video game with Marshmallow (and Kristoff, who Marshmallow would invite sometimes… which caused Anna to be rewarded with some cute frowns from the blonde on Skype), grabbing rocks around the shoreline with Gothi for his rock collection or going to a horse farm with Sven and Maximus. 

But still, everything would've been much more exciting with her dorky blonde right beside her.

…

Anna heaves a deep breath as she grabs her phone for the nth time to check if the plane wasn't delayed. She heard no announcement from the company so everything was okay, right? She leaned back on the plastic bench she's been sitting for what it seemed to be _eternity_.

"Fucking planes", she growls, "She's rich, isn't she? Why not rent a jet?"

A cold hand blocks her view from behind, caressing her temples in the process.

"I try to be humble", comes the female whisper, "...most of the time."

Anna chuckles and her covered teal eyes get moist as a childish laugh comes along.

She happily sighs and says:

_Welcome home._

* * *

_What a fun and lovely ride. A fanfic that was born after reading two scenarios (can scenarios be read? woah...) of GGaR and woulda be finished in 11 chapters ended up being a 27 chapters long one, and this is all you guys' fault! I may or may not come back with ficlets about Ansel growing up, the girls with the pub crew... it all depends on (my) imagination and readers' enthusiasm. I'm always open to prompts :)b  
_

_Thank you for sticking with me to the end *insert lotsa heart emoticons here*  
_


End file.
